What is Mcp Ts Starter

mcp-ts-starter is a TypeScript starter project for creating Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. It includes essential resources, prompts, and tools to demonstrate the fundamentals of MCP and serves as a template for more complex implementations.

Use cases

Use cases for mcp-ts-starter include developing chat applications, creating interactive assistants, integrating with desktop applications like Claude Desktop, and building web clients that utilize real-time data through SSE.

How to use

To use mcp-ts-starter, install the dependencies with npm install, build the project using npm run build, and run the server either in STDIO mode with npm run start or in HTTP mode with npm run start:http. Adjust the port by setting the PORT environment variable if necessary.

Key features

Key features include a static resource that returns a ‘Hello, World’ message, a dynamic greeting resource that accepts a name, a simple prompt for configuring an assistant, an echo tool, and support for multiple transport options such as STDIO and HTTP with Server-Sent Events (SSE).

Where to use

mcp-ts-starter can be used in various fields that require interactive applications, such as chatbots, virtual assistants, and any system that benefits from real-time communication and context-aware interactions.

Hello World MCP Server

A simple Model Context Protocol (MCP) server implementation built with TypeScript. This server demonstrates basic MCP functionality including resources, prompts, and tools.

Features

• SSE and STDIO transport support
• Resource handling with static and dynamic resources
• Sample prompt implementation
• Example tool that echoes messages
• Debug tool for server introspection

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm or yarn

Installation

npm install

Build

npm run build

Running the Server

HTTP/SSE Transport (Web Browsers)

npm run start:http

This starts the server on http://localhost:3000 with:

• SSE endpoint at /sse
• Message endpoint at /messages

STDIO Transport (Command Line)

npm run start

This runs the server in stdio mode for command-line integrations.

Testing the Server

Testing with cURL

1. Start the HTTP server:

   npm run start:http
   

2. In a terminal window, connect to the SSE endpoint:

   curl -N http://localhost:3000/sse
   

   You should see a response like:

   event: endpoint
   data: /messages?sessionId=YOUR_SESSION_ID
   

3. In another terminal window, send a request to invoke the echo tool:

   curl -X POST \
     "http://localhost:3000/messages?sessionId=YOUR_SESSION_ID" \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{
       "jsonrpc": "2.0",
       "id": 1,
       "method": "tools/invoke",
       "params": {
         "name": "echo",
         "parameters": {
           "message": "Testing the MCP server!"
         }
       }
     }'
   

4. You should see a response in the SSE terminal window:

   event: message
   data: {"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"result":{"content":[{"type":"text","text":"Hello Testing the MCP server!"}]}}
   

5. Try the debug tool to see available server methods:

   curl -X POST \
     "http://localhost:3000/messages?sessionId=YOUR_SESSION_ID" \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{
       "jsonrpc": "2.0",
       "id": 2,
       "method": "tools/invoke",
       "params": {
         "name": "debug",
         "parameters": {}
       }
     }'
   

Testing with MCP Inspector

For a visual interface, you can use the MCP Inspector tool:

1. Connect to http://localhost:3000/sse in the MCP Inspector
2. Browse available resources and tools
3. Invoke tools interactively

Server API

Resources

• hello://world - A static hello world resource
• greeting://{name} - A dynamic greeting with a name parameter

Tools

• echo - Echoes back a message with “Hello” prefix
• debug - Lists all available tools and methods

Prompts

• helpful-assistant - A basic helpful assistant prompt

Troubleshooting

• If you get “Headers already sent” errors, make sure you’re not manually setting headers
• Session ID handling is crucial for proper message routing
• Check the server console for debugging information

License

MIT