# MCP Server Beginner example
## Project Overview
It is a Python application that provides real-time weather alerts for US states using the National Weather Service (NWS) API. It leverages the `mcp` framework (with FastMCP) and is designed for modern async Python workflows. The project is fully managed with [uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv) for dependency management and task running.
---
## Features
- **Weather Alerts Tool:** Fetches and formats active weather alerts for any US state.
- **Echo Resource:** Simple echo endpoint for testing.
- **Async & Modern:** Uses Python 3.12+ and async/await patterns.
- **MCP Inspector:** Visual tool to inspect and test your MCP tools and resources.
---
## Project Structure
```
.
├── main.py # Simple entry point (prints a message)
├── pyproject.toml # Project metadata and dependencies
├── uv.lock # Locked dependencies for reproducible installs
├── server/
│ └── weather.py # Main server logic and weather tool/resource
├── .venv/ # (optional) Virtual environment
├── .python-version # Python version pin (3.12)
├── .gitignore # Standard Python ignores
└── README.md # Project documentation
```
---
## Prerequisites
- **Python 3.12+**
- **uv** (install with `pip install uv` if not already installed)
---
## Setup & Installation
1. **Clone the repository:**
```sh
git clone <your-repo-url>
cd mcpproject
```
2. **Install dependencies using uv:**
```sh
uv pip install -r uv.lock
```
Or, if you want to install from `pyproject.toml`:
```sh
uv pip install
```
---
## Running the Project
### 1. Run the Main Script
To run the basic entry point:
```sh
uv run python main.py
```
### 2. Develop & Test the Weather Tool
To start the MCP development server for the weather tool:
```sh
uv run mcp dev server/weather.py
```
This will also open **MCP Inspector** in your browser—a visual tool to explore and test your MCP tools and resources interactively.
### 3. Install the Weather Tool
To install the weather tool for use as an MCP tool:
```sh
uv run mcp install server/weather.py
```
---
## Usage Example
With the dev server running, you can use the MCP Inspector or an MCP-compatible client to call the `get_alerts` tool:
- **Tool name:** `get_alerts`
- **Argument:** Two-letter US state code (e.g., `CA`, `NY`)
Example (from CLI):
```sh
mcp call get_alerts --state=CA
```
### Using with Claude Desktop
You can also use the weather alerts tool in Claude Desktop, as shown below:
*Weather alerts for California displayed in Claude Desktop using the `get_alerts` tool.*
### Claude Desktop Configuration
To call this MCP server from Claude Desktop, you need to update your `claude_desktop_config.json` file to include the server
For example:
```json
{
{
"mcpServers": {
"weather": {
"command": "C:\\Users\\shubhechhadey\\.local\\bin\\uv.EXE",
"args": [
"run",
"--with",
"mcp[cli]",
"mcp",
"run",
"C:\\Users\\shubhechhadey\\projects\\mcpproject\\server\\weather.py"
]
}
}
}
}
```
Attached is the screenshot: 
---
## Notes
- All commands use `uv`
