# MCP Project Setup Guide
## Quick Start
```bash
# Create project
mkdir mcp-project && cd mcp-project
npm init -y
# Install dependencies
npm install @modelcontextprotocol/sdk zod
npm install -D typescript @types/node
# Initialize TypeScript
npx tsc --init
# Create structure
mkdir -p src/tools src/db src/utils
```
## Server Entry Point Template
**src/index.ts**
```typescript
import { McpServer } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/mcp.js";
import { StdioServerTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/stdio.js";
import { z } from "zod";
const server = new McpServer({
name: "mcp-server-name",
version: "1.0.0",
});
// Health check tool
server.registerTool(
"ping",
{
description: "Health check - returns pong with timestamp",
inputSchema: z.object({}),
},
async () => ({
content: [{
type: "text",
text: JSON.stringify({
status: "ok",
timestamp: new Date().toISOString()
})
}],
})
);
// Start server
const transport = new StdioServerTransport();
server.connect(transport).catch((err) => {
console.error("[MCP] Server error:", err);
process.exit(1);
});
console.error("[MCP] Server started");
```
## Environment Variables
**.env.example**
```env
# Database
SQL_SERVER=localhost
SQL_DATABASE=mydb
SQL_USER=sa
SQL_PASSWORD=
# Server
LOG_LEVEL=info
```
**.gitignore**
```
node_modules/
build/
.env
*.log
.DS_Store
```
## Claude Desktop Configuration
**Location**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` (macOS)
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"my-server": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/build/index.js"],
"env": {
"SQL_SERVER": "localhost",
"SQL_DATABASE": "mydb",
"SQL_USER": "sa",
"SQL_PASSWORD": "password"
}
}
}
}
```
## Build and Test
```bash
# Build
npm run build
# Test manually
node build/index.js
# Test with MCP Inspector
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector
```
