Date MCP Server

# Date MCP Server A lightweight Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides current date and day information to AI assistants, built with Python and `uv` for maximum portability. ## Features - **get_day_name**: Returns the current day of the week (e.g., "Monday") - **get_iso_date**: Returns the current date in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD) Perfect for AI assistants like GitHub Copilot that need reliable, always-accurate date information when working on notes, documentation, or time-sensitive tasks. ## Quick Start ### Prerequisites - Python 3.10 or higher - [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) package manager ### Installation ```bash # Clone or navigate to the project cd DateMCP # Install dependencies with uv uv sync ``` ### Running the Server Always use `uv` to run the server so the Python runtime is pinned by the project's environment. - Run the installed project script (preferred): ```bash uv run -- date-mcp ``` If you prefer running the module directly during development, you can still run: ```bash uv run -- python -m src.date_mcp ``` The server communicates via stdio and is ready to receive MCP requests. ## VS Code Integration To use this with GitHub Copilot in VS Code, see [VS_CODE_CONFIG.md](./VS_CODE_CONFIG.md) for detailed setup instructions. Project Structure ``` DateMCP/ ├── pyproject.toml # Project configuration and dependencies ├── src/ │ ├── __init__.py # Package initializer │ └── date_mcp.py # Main MCP server implementation (moved) ├── README.md # This file └── VS_CODE_CONFIG.md # VS Code configuration guide ``` ## How It Works The server uses the standard [MCP Python SDK](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) to expose two simple tools: - **get_day_name()**: Uses `datetime.now().strftime("%A")` to return the current day - **get_iso_date()**: Uses `datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d")` to return the current date These tools are discovered by MCP clients and can be called by the LLM when needed. ## Why This Matters AI assistants often struggle with: - Knowing the current date - Performing date-based calculations - Adding accurate timestamps to content By providing an MCP server with reliable date tools, your AI assistant (whether Copilot, Claude, or other MCP-compatible clients) always has access to accurate date information without relying on training data or assumptions. ## Development ### Adding More Tools To add additional date tools, simply add more functions decorated with `@mcp.tool()`: ```python @mcp.tool() def get_unix_timestamp() -> int: """Get the current Unix timestamp. Returns: int: Current time in seconds since epoch """ return int(datetime.now().timestamp()) ``` ### Testing Locally The server outputs JSON-RPC messages to stdout. For debugging, you can use the [MCP debugging tools](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/legacy/tools/debugging). ## Interactive Testing with MCP Inspector You can test the MCP server interactively using the official MCP Inspector tool. 1. Install the MCP Inspector (if not already installed): ```bash npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/inspector ``` 2. Run the inspector and point it to your server: ```bash npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uv run -- date-mcp ``` This will: - Start your MCP server using the pinned `uv` environment - Launch a web interface (typically at http://localhost:5173) - Allow you to interactively test the tools 3. In the Inspector web UI, you can: - See the two available tools: `get_day_name` and `get_iso_date` - Click on each tool to execute it - View the responses in real-time - Inspect the JSON-RPC messages being exchanged Alternatively, you can run the server directly and connect the inspector separately: ```bash # Terminal 1: Start the server uv run -- date-mcp # Terminal 2: Connect inspector to running server npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector ``` ## Portability Built with `uv` for maximum portability: - Single dependency: `mcp` - Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows - No system-wide installation required - Easy deployment via standard configurations ## License MIT ## Resources - [Model Context Protocol Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) - [MCP Python SDK](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk) - [UV Package Manager](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)