Mcp Npm Docs Server

What is Mcp Npm Docs Server

mcp-npm_docs-server is an MCP server designed to fetch metadata and documentation, including README content, for NPM packages. It utilizes a local cache to enhance performance.

Use cases

Use cases include integrating with CI/CD pipelines for automated documentation retrieval, enhancing developer experience in local environments, and providing documentation services in larger applications.

How to use

To use mcp-npm_docs-server, clone the repository, install dependencies using ‘npm install’, and build the server with ‘npm run build’. Configure the server using environment variables for cache settings.

Key features

Key features include fetching package metadata and README content via the npms.io API, local caching with SQLite for improved performance, and providing the ‘getNpmPackageDocs’ MCP tool.

Where to use

mcp-npm_docs-server is suitable for developers and teams working with NPM packages who need quick access to package documentation and metadata.

# NPM Documentation MCP Server

An MCP server that provides a tool to fetch metadata and documentation (including README content) for NPM packages, using a local cache to improve performance.

Features

• Fetches package metadata and README content using the npms.io API.
• Caches results locally using SQLite (better-sqlite3).
• Provides the getNpmPackageDocs MCP tool.
• Follows the standard MCP server structure.

Project Structure

• /src: Contains all source code.
  • /config: Configuration management (ConfigurationManager).
  • /services: Core logic (NpmDocService, CacheService).
  • /tools: MCP tool definition (npmDocsTool.ts, npmDocsToolParams.ts).
  • /types: TypeScript interfaces and custom errors (npmDocsTypes.ts).
  • /utils: Shared utility functions (logger.ts, errors.ts).
  • createServer.ts: Server instance creation and tool registration.
  • server.ts: Main application entry point.
• /dist: Compiled JavaScript output (generated by npm run build). Contains the default cache DB file (npm-docs-cache.db).
• package.json: Project metadata and dependencies.
• tsconfig.json: TypeScript compiler options.
• .eslintrc.json: ESLint configuration.
• .prettierrc.json: Prettier configuration.
• .gitignore: Git ignore rules.

Installation & Setup

1. Clone the repository (if applicable).

2. Install Dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Build the Server:

   npm run build
   

   This compiles the TypeScript code into the dist/ directory.

Configuration

The server can be configured using environment variables:

• NPM_CACHE_TTL: Cache Time-To-Live in seconds. (Default: 86400 - 24 hours)
• NPM_CACHE_DB_PATH: Path to the SQLite database file. (Default: ./dist/npm-docs-cache.db - relative to the project root after build). If set, this overrides the default. Can be an absolute path or relative to the current working directory where the server is started.
• LOG_LEVEL: Set to debug for verbose logging. (Default: info)
  Note: The NPM_REGISTRY_URL config variable exists but is currently ignored as the server uses the npms.io API.

Running the Server

You can run the compiled server directly using Node:

node dist/server.js

For development, use the dev script for auto-reloading:

npm run dev

MCP Integration

To use this server with an MCP client (like Cline), add its configuration to your MCP settings file (e.g., cline_mcp_settings.json):

Replace /path/to/mcp-npm_docs-server with the actual absolute path to this project directory on your system.

Provided MCP Tool

getNpmPackageDocs

Retrieves documentation and metadata for a specified NPM package.

Parameters:

• packageName (string, required): The exact name of the NPM package (e.g., ‘react’, ‘axios’, ‘@azure/storage-blob’). Case-sensitive.
• forceFresh (boolean, optional, default: false): If true, bypasses the local cache and fetches fresh data from the npms.io API.

Returns:

A JSON object conforming to the NpmDocumentation interface, including:

• name
• version
• description
• homepage (if available)
• repository (URL, if available)
• author (name, if available)
• license (if available)
• keywords (if available)
• dependencies
• devDependencies
• readmeContent (string containing README markdown, if available via npms.io)

Example Usage (MCP Tool Call):

<use_mcp_tool>
  <server_name>npm-docs-server</server_name>
  <tool_name>getNpmPackageDocs</tool_name>
  <arguments>
  {
    "packageName": "lodash",
    "forceFresh": false
  }
  </arguments>
</use_mcp_tool>

Linting and Formatting

• Lint: npm run lint
• Format: npm run format

Code will be automatically linted and formatted on commit via Husky and lint-staged (if Husky is installed).