Stata MCP Server

# Installing Stata MCP v0.3.4 - Timeout Fix **Version:** 0.3.4 **Build Date:** October 22, 2025 **Package:** `stata-mcp-0.3.4.vsix` **Size:** 2.7 MB ## What's New in v0.3.4 ✅ **Fixed:** Timeout feature now works correctly for "Run File" operations - Changed REST API endpoint from POST to GET for proper parameter binding - Timeout parameter is now correctly extracted from VS Code settings - Verified with tests: 12-second and 30-second timeouts trigger exactly on time ## Installation Instructions ### Method 1: Install via VS Code UI (Recommended) 1. **Open VS Code, Cursor, or Antigravity** 2. **Open Extensions view** - Click the Extensions icon in the sidebar (or press `Cmd+Shift+X` on Mac, `Ctrl+Shift+X` on Windows) 3. **Install from VSIX** - Click the `...` (More Actions) menu at the top of the Extensions view - Select "Install from VSIX..." - Navigate to: `/path/to/stata-mcp/stata-mcp-0.3.4.vsix` - Click "Install" 4. **Reload VS Code** - Click "Reload Now" when prompted, or restart VS Code ### Method 2: Install via Command Line ```bash # For VS Code code --install-extension /path/to/stata-mcp/stata-mcp-0.3.4.vsix # For Cursor cursor --install-extension /path/to/stata-mcp/stata-mcp-0.3.4.vsix ``` ## Verifying Installation 1. **Check Extension Version** - Open Extensions view - Search for "Stata MCP" - Verify version shows **0.3.4** 2. **Check Timeout Setting** - Open Settings (`Cmd+,` or `Ctrl+,`) - Search for "stata timeout" - You should see: **Stata-vscode: Run File Timeout** - Default: 600 seconds (10 minutes) ## Testing the Timeout Feature ### Step 1: Create a Test Script Create a file called `test_timeout.do`: ```stata * Test long-running script display "Starting long test at: " c(current_time) clear set obs 100 gen x = _n * Loop for 2 minutes (120 seconds) forvalues i = 1/120 { sleep 1000 if mod(`i', 10) == 0 { display "Iteration `i' at " c(current_time) } } display "Completed at: " c(current_time) ``` ### Step 2: Configure Short Timeout 1. Open VS Code Settings 2. Search for "stata timeout" 3. Set **Stata-vscode: Run File Timeout** to: **30** (30 seconds) ### Step 3: Run the Test 1. Open `test_timeout.do` in VS Code 2. Right-click → "Stata: Run File" (or use command palette) 3. **Expected Result:** - Script should run for about 30 seconds - Should stop at around iteration 30 - Should show timeout message in output ### Step 4: Check Output You should see something like: ``` Starting long test at: HH:MM:SS Iteration 10 at HH:MM:SS Iteration 20 at HH:MM:SS Iteration 30 at HH:MM:SS *** TIMEOUT: Execution exceeded 30 seconds (0.5 minutes) *** *** ERROR: Operation timed out after 30 seconds *** ``` ## Timeout Settings ### Recommended Values | Use Case | Timeout (seconds) | Timeout (minutes) | |----------|-------------------|-------------------| | Quick scripts | 30-60 | 0.5-1 min | | Data processing | 300-600 | 5-10 min | | Long simulations | 1800-3600 | 30-60 min | | No limit (default) | 600 | 10 min | ### Configuring Timeout **Via UI:** 1. File → Preferences → Settings (or Code → Settings on Mac) 2. Search: "stata timeout" 3. Modify: **Stata-vscode: Run File Timeout** 4. Value in seconds (e.g., 30 for 30 seconds) **Via settings.json:** ```json { "stata-vscode.runFileTimeout": 30 } ``` ## What Gets Fixed ### Before v0.3.4 (BROKEN) - Timeout parameter was **ignored** - Scripts always ran with 600-second (10 minute) timeout - Custom timeout values from settings had **no effect** ### After v0.3.4 (FIXED) - Timeout parameter is **correctly received** - Scripts respect the configured timeout value - Timeout triggers at exact expected time - Multi-stage termination works properly ## Technical Details ### Changes Made **File:** `src/stata_mcp_server.py` (Line 1643) **Change:** ```python # Before @app.post("/run_file", ...) # After @app.get("/run_file", ...) ``` **Why:** FastAPI GET endpoints automatically bind function parameters to query parameters, while POST endpoints expect request body by default. ### How Timeout Works 1. **Polling:** Checks every 0.5 seconds if timeout exceeded 2. **Termination:** Uses 3-stage approach: - Stage 1: Send Stata `break` command (graceful) - Stage 2: Force thread stop (aggressive) - Stage 3: Kill Stata process (forceful) 3. **Error Handling:** Returns clear timeout error message ## Troubleshooting ### Timeout Still Not Working? 1. **Verify version:** ``` Check Extensions → Stata MCP → Version should be 0.3.4 ``` 2. **Restart VS Code completely** - Close all VS Code windows - Reopen VS Code 3. **Check server is running:** - Look for "Stata MCP Server" process - Check server logs in extension output panel 4. **Test with curl:** ```bash curl -s "http://localhost:4000/run_file?file_path=/path/to/test.do&timeout=12" ``` ### Server Won't Start? 1. Check Python version: `python3 --version` (need 3.8+) 2. Check dependencies: `pip3 install fastapi uvicorn pydantic` 3. Check Stata path in settings ## Documentation - [TIMEOUT_FIX_SUMMARY.md](TIMEOUT_FIX_SUMMARY.md) - Technical implementation details - [FINAL_TIMEOUT_TEST_RESULTS.md](FINAL_TIMEOUT_TEST_RESULTS.md) - Complete test results - [README.md](README.md) - Full extension documentation ## Support - **Issues:** https://github.com/hanlulong/stata-mcp/issues - **Documentation:** https://github.com/hanlulong/stata-mcp --- **Enjoy the working timeout feature! 🎉** _Built on: October 22, 2025_ _Version: 0.3.4_ _Status: Production Ready ✅_