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
Managing Environment Variables
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os- Miscellaneous operating system interfaces (Environment variables), Python Software Foundation, 2024 (Python Software Foundation) - Official documentation for accessing and manipulating environment variables in Python usingos.environ.- Pydantic-settings: The Settings management library for Pydantic, Pydantic Development Team, 2024 (Pydantic Development Team) - Documentation for structured configuration management using
pydantic-settingsto load and validate environment variables. - Node.js
processobject (Environment Variables), Node.js Foundation, 2024 - Official documentation for accessing environment variables in Node.js applications viaprocess.env. - Configuration Management Cheat Sheet, OWASP Foundation, 2023 - Guidelines for securely managing application configurations, including sensitive data and environment variables.
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