Getting Started with Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Chapter 1: Architecture and Fundamentals
The MCP Specification Overview
Client-Host-Server Topology
JSON-RPC Message Structure
Transport Mechanisms: Stdio and SSE
Capabilities Negotiation
Hands-on Practice: Environment Setup
Chapter 2: Defining Resources and Prompts
Concept of Resources in MCP
URI Schemes and Patterns
Implementing Synchronous Resource Reads
Resource Subscriptions and Notifications
Structuring Prompts
Hands-on Practice: Building a File Reader Server
Chapter 3: Implementing Tools and Logic
Tool Definition Schema
Input Validation with Pydantic
Executing External API Calls
Error Handling and Reporting
Designing Computed Resources
Hands-on Practice: Creating a Database Tool
Chapter 4: Debugging and Client Integration
Using the MCP Inspector
Analyzing Log Output
Configuration for Claude Desktop
Managing Environment Variables
Handling Connection Lifecycles
Hands-on Practice: End-to-End Integration
Capabilities Negotiation
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- JSON-RPC 2.0 Specification, JSON-RPC Working Group, 2010 - Defines the standard for remote procedure call communication using JSON, which underlies the message structure and request/response/notification patterns described for MCP.
- Language Server Protocol Specification, Microsoft and Red Hat, Latest version - Provides a real-world example of a widely adopted client-server protocol that heavily relies on an
initializerequest andcapabilitiesnegotiation, similar to MCP. - Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems, Martin Kleppmann, 2017 (O'Reilly Media) - Offers foundational principles for building robust distributed systems, covering data model evolution, backward and forward compatibility, and API versioning strategies, which are critical for effective capabilities negotiation.
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