MCP How-To Tutorials

A comprehensive collection of tutorials for building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn to create AI integrations that let Claude work directly with your applications, databases, and APIs.

What You'll Learn

• MCP Protocol Fundamentals - Understanding JSON-RPC 2.0 communication with AI assistants
• Tool Development - Creating and registering MCP tools that Claude can use autonomously
• Data Integration - Connecting Claude to databases, APIs, and file systems
• Production Practices - Testing, error handling, deployment, and security considerations

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or higher
• Claude Desktop application
• Basic knowledge of TypeScript/JavaScript

Quick Start

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/ssmirnovpro/mcp-howto-tutorials.git
cd mcp-howto-tutorials

2. Start with the first tutorial:

cd 01-building-your-first-mcp-server/example
npm install
npm run build

3. Configure Claude Desktop: Add the server to your Claude Desktop configuration (see tutorial README for details)

4. Test the implementation:

npm test

Tutorials

📚 01 - Building Your First MCP Server

Location: 01-building-your-first-mcp-server/

Learn MCP fundamentals by building a TODO manager that Claude can use to create, list, and remove tasks.

What you'll build:

• Complete MCP server with SQLite database
• Three MCP tools: create_task, remove_task, todo_list
• Input validation with Zod schemas
• Comprehensive error handling
• Full test suite

Read the tutorial: article.md Run the code: example/

🚀 More Tutorials Coming Soon

• 02 - Advanced MCP Features: Editing, tagging, and complex workflows
• 03 - MCP Server Distribution: Packaging and deployment strategies
• 04 - External Integrations: Connecting to popular TODO services

Project Structure

mcp-howto-tutorials/
├── 01-building-your-first-mcp-server/
│   ├── article.md                   # Tutorial article
│   └── example/                     # Working code example
│       ├── src/                     # TypeScript source
│       ├── tests/                   # Test suite
│       ├── package.json
│       └── README.md                # Setup instructions
├── 02-advanced-features/            # Coming soon
├── 03-deployment/                   # Coming soon
└── README.md                        # This file

Key Technologies

• Model Context Protocol (MCP) - Anthropic's protocol for AI-tool communication
• TypeScript - Type-safe development with modern JavaScript features
• SQLite - Lightweight database for data persistence
• Zod - Runtime type validation and schema definition
• Jest - Testing framework for unit and integration tests

Features Demonstrated

• ✅ MCP Protocol Implementation - Proper JSON-RPC 2.0 communication
• ✅ Tool Development - Creating and registering MCP tools
• ✅ Data Persistence - SQLite integration with proper schema
• ✅ Input Validation - Zod schemas for type-safe validation
• ✅ Error Handling - Comprehensive error management for AI interaction
• ✅ Testing - Unit and integration tests with Jest
• ✅ TypeScript - Full type safety and modern JavaScript
• ✅ Production Practices - Logging, configuration, deployment readiness

Development Workflow

Each tutorial follows the same structure:

1. Read the article - Understanding concepts and architecture
2. Examine the code - Well-commented implementation examples
3. Run the tests - Verify functionality and learn testing patterns
4. Integrate with Claude - Real-world usage with Claude Desktop
5. Experiment - Try different prompts and see how Claude uses your tools

Best Practices Covered

Code Quality

• TypeScript strict mode - Maximum type safety
• ESLint configuration - Consistent code style
• Comprehensive testing - Unit and integration tests
• Error boundaries - Graceful error handling
• Input validation - Runtime type checking

Production Readiness

• Configuration management - Environment-based configuration
• Database best practices - Proper schema, migrations, indexing
• Logging and monitoring - Structured logging with levels
• Resource management - Proper cleanup and connection handling
• Security considerations - Input sanitization, safe defaults

MCP-Specific

• Protocol compliance - Follows MCP specification exactly
• Tool design patterns - Reusable tool architecture
• AI-friendly errors - Error messages that help Claude understand problems
• Claude Desktop integration - Proper configuration and troubleshooting

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please:

1. Start with existing tutorials - Understand the patterns first
2. Follow TypeScript standards - Maintain type safety
3. Add comprehensive tests - All new features need tests
4. Update documentation - Keep articles and READMEs current
5. Test with Claude Desktop - Ensure real-world functionality

Support

• Issues: Report bugs and request features via GitHub issues
• Discussions: Join conversations about MCP development
• Documentation: Each tutorial includes comprehensive setup guides

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Anthropic - For creating the Model Context Protocol
• Claude Desktop - For providing the runtime environment
• MCP Community - For feedback and contributions

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Ready to start building? Head to 01-building-your-first-mcp-server/ and begin your MCP journey!