Model Context Protocol

Understanding the technical foundation that makes MCPCodex's AI agents contextually aware and capable of interacting with your development environment.

What is the Model Context Protocol?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that enables Large Language Models to securely connect to external data sources, tools, and services. Think of it as a standardized way for AI models to "reach out" beyond their training data and interact with the real world.

Key Insight

MCP transforms AI from a static question-and-answer system into a dynamic agent that can read files, execute commands, query databases, and interact with APIs in real-time while maintaining context about your specific development environment.

Core Components

MCP Servers

Specialized services that expose specific capabilities to AI models. Each server handles a particular domain like file systems, databases, or external APIs.

  • • File system access
  • • Database connections
  • • API integrations
  • • Custom tools

MCP Clients

Applications that connect to MCP servers and coordinate interactions between AI models and external resources.

  • • Claude Desktop
  • • MCPCodex Platform
  • • Custom implementations
  • • IDE extensions

Resources

Data sources that AI models can read from, including files, databases, APIs, and other structured information.

  • • Source code files
  • • Documentation
  • • Configuration files
  • • External data sources

Tools

Functions that AI models can execute to perform actions, modify data, or interact with external systems.

  • • File manipulation
  • • Command execution
  • • API calls
  • • Data processing

How MCP Works

1

Connection Establishment

The MCP client (like MCPCodex) connects to one or more MCP servers, each providing specific capabilities like file access, database queries, or API integrations.

2

Capability Discovery

The client discovers what tools and resources are available from each server, building a comprehensive map of available functionality.

3

Context Building

When you make a request, the AI model analyzes what context is needed and requests relevant resources (files, data, etc.) from the appropriate servers.

4

Action Execution

The model uses available tools to perform actions - writing files, executing commands, making API calls - all while maintaining security and permission controls.

MCP in Action

Basic MCP Configuration

mcp-config.js
// MCP Configuration
const mcpConfig = {
  protocol: {
    version: "2.0",
    capabilities: ["tools", "resources", "prompts"]
  },
  tools: [
    {
      name: "file_reader",
      description: "Read and analyze code files",
      schema: {
        type: "object",
        properties: {
          path: { type: "string" },
          encoding: { type: "string", default: "utf-8" }
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  resources: [
    {
      uri: "file://src/**/*.ts",
      name: "TypeScript Source Files",
      mimeType: "text/typescript"
    }
  ]
};

// Initialize MCP Client
const client = new MCPClient(mcpConfig);
await client.connect("stdio");

Context-Aware Code Generation

context-example.js
// Context-aware code generation
const contextResult = await mcp.generateWithContext({
  prompt: "Add error handling to this function",
  context: {
    currentFile: "src/api/users.ts",
    codebase: await mcp.scanCodebase(),
    dependencies: ["express", "joi", "prisma"],
    testFramework: "jest"
  },
  model: "claude-3-opus"
});

console.log(contextResult.enhancedCode);
console.log(contextResult.explanation);

Real-time Streaming

streaming-example.js
// Real-time streaming with MCP
const stream = mcp.createStream({
  model: "gpt-4",
  temperature: 0.1
});

stream.on('token', (token) => {
  process.stdout.write(token);
});

stream.on('tool_call', (toolCall) => {
  console.log(`Using tool: ${toolCall.name}`);
});

await stream.send({
  prompt: "Refactor this React component to use TypeScript",
  files: ["components/UserProfile.jsx"]
});

Why MCP Matters

Security & Control

MCP provides a secure, controlled way for AI to interact with external resources. Permissions are explicit, and all interactions can be audited and monitored.

Standardization

By providing a common protocol, MCP enables interoperability between different AI systems and tools, creating a rich ecosystem of compatible services.

Real-time Context

Unlike static training data, MCP enables AI to access current, relevant information from your actual development environment and external systems.

Extensibility

The protocol is designed to be extensible, allowing developers to create custom MCP servers for domain-specific tools and integrations.

MCP vs Traditional APIs

AspectMCPTraditional APIs
Context AwarenessFull codebase contextSingle request/response
Security ModelFine-grained permissionsToken-based access
Real-time UpdatesLive streamingPolling required
Tool OrchestrationMulti-tool workflowsManual coordination
Error HandlingContext-aware recoveryGeneric error codes

Learn More

Want to Build Custom MCP Servers?

Learn how to create custom MCP servers for your specific use cases and integrations.