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mcpforge

by vigilancetrent
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Python
Hybrid

mcpforge

Ship an MCP server in 5 lines of Python.

Python License: MIT Status MCP

Before                              After
──────                              ─────
~200 lines of                       @serve
JSON-RPC stdio                      class MarketTools:
boilerplate, schema                     @tool
generation, error                       def latest_price(self, symbol: str) -> float: ...
handling, lifecycle                     @tool
management.                             def search(self, query: str) -> list[dict]: ...

                                    $ python -m mcpforge run market:MarketTools
                                    ✓ MCP server running on stdio

Why mcpforge

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the open standard Claude, Cursor, and an exploding ecosystem of AI tools use to call external functions. It's powerful — and writing a server is currently miserable.

You write the same JSON-RPC framing, schema generation, dispatch loop, and error handling on every project. mcpforge erases all of it. Annotate your class. Type-hint your methods. You're done.

from mcpforge import serve, tool

@serve(name="market_tools", version="0.1.0")
class MarketTools:
    """Market data tools for AI agents."""

    @tool(description="Get the latest price for a symbol")
    def latest_price(self, symbol: str) -> float:
        return fetch_price(symbol)

    @tool
    def search(self, query: str, limit: int = 10) -> list[dict]:
        """Search ticker symbols matching `query`."""
        return run_search(query, limit)

That's a complete, spec-compliant MCP server. Type hints become JSON Schema. Docstrings become tool descriptions. Returns are auto-serialized.

Related MCP server: nbmcp

60-second quickstart

pip install mcpforge
# hello.py
from mcpforge import serve, tool

@serve(name="hello", version="0.1.0")
class HelloTools:
    @tool
    def greet(self, name: str = "world") -> str:
        """Say hello to someone."""
        return f"Hello, {name}!"
python -m mcpforge run hello:HelloTools

You now have a working MCP server speaking JSON-RPC 2.0 over stdio.

How it works

  1. @serve tags a class as an MCP server (name, version, capabilities).

  2. @tool registers methods as MCP tools.

  3. @resource(uri=...) registers methods as MCP resources.

  4. mcpforge introspects each method's signature and produces a JSON Schema — primitives, list[T], dict[str, T], Literal[...], Optional[T], dataclasses, and Pydantic models all just work.

  5. python -m mcpforge run mod:Class boots the stdio loop, handles initialize / tools/list / tools/call / resources/list / resources/read, and reports JSON-RPC errors with proper codes.

No external MCP SDK. Just stdlib json + pydantic for schema niceties.

Built-in servers

Two batteries-included servers you can drop in today:

# Filesystem tools (sandboxed to a root directory)
python -m mcpforge run mcpforge.builtin.filesystem:FilesystemTools

# HTTP fetch tools
python -m mcpforge run mcpforge.builtin.http:HttpTools

FilesystemTools exposes list_dir, read_file, search — sandboxed with path traversal checks. HttpTools exposes fetch_url with size limits.

Plug into Claude Desktop

Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "market": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "mcpforge", "run", "market:MarketTools"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/your/project"
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. Your tools appear in the conversation.

Plug into Cursor

~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "market": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "mcpforge", "run", "market:MarketTools"]
    }
  }
}

Comparison

Feature

mcpforge

mcp SDK

FastMCP

Hand-rolled

Single decorator

Yes

No

Yes

No

Auto JSON Schema from types

Yes

No

Yes

No

Pydantic v2 support

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Zero required deps beyond pyd

Yes

No

No

N/A

Built-in fs / http servers

Yes

No

No

No

Lines for hello world

~5

~40

~10

~200

Inspect the wire format

python -m mcpforge inspect market:MarketTools

Prints the exact tools/list payload your clients will see.

Roadmap

  • Tools (call, list)

  • Resources (read, list)

  • Type-hint -> JSON Schema (Pydantic v2, dataclasses, Literal, Optional)

  • Built-in filesystem and http servers

  • Resource subscriptions

  • Prompts capability

  • Sampling capability

  • WebSocket / HTTP-SSE transport (optional [http] extra)

  • Async tools (async def)

  • OTel tracing hooks

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Author: thechifura. Sibling to quantflow and strategos.

Available Tools

3 tools
list_dirA

List entries in path (relative to the sandbox root).

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
pathNo.

TDQS

A3.5/5.0
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations provided, so description bears full burden. It does not disclose what types of entries are listed (files, directories), sorting order, or any other behavioral traits beyond listing.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Single sentence with no wasted words. Verb is front-loaded, and the essential context is included efficiently.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a simple listing tool with one parameter and no output schema, the description is adequate but could be more complete by noting whether entries include both files and directories.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Input schema has 0% description coverage, but description adds meaning by specifying that path is relative to the sandbox root. This clarifies a key detail not in the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Description clearly states the verb 'list', the resource 'entries in path', and adds context 'relative to the sandbox root'. It distinguishes from sibling tools read_file and search.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

No guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives or exclusions. The description does not mention any context or conditions for usage.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

read_fileA

Read up to max_bytes bytes of the file at path as UTF-8 text.

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
pathYes
max_bytesNo

TDQS

A3.7/5.0
Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The description discloses that it reads up to max_bytes as UTF-8 text, but does not mention error behavior (e.g., file not found, binary files) or performance implications. With no annotations, the description provides moderate transparency.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is a single, clear sentence that efficiently covers the tool's core functionality without extraneous words.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given no output schema and sibling tools, the description could mention return value format or error handling. It adequately covers the main behavior but lacks completeness for a file reading tool.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate. It explains both parameters: path is the file location, max_bytes limits the bytes read, and specifies UTF-8 encoding. However, it does not clarify path format (absolute/relative).

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states it reads a file at a given path, up to a specified number of bytes, as UTF-8 text. It distinguishes from sibling tools 'list_dir' (listing directory contents) and 'search' (searching for files).

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

No guidance is provided on when to use this tool versus alternatives. There is no mention of when not to use it or any prerequisites.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Install Server
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TDQS

B3.3/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

Each tool has a clearly distinct purpose: listing directory entries, reading file contents, and searching for patterns. No overlap in functionality.

Naming Consistency4/5

Naming is mainly verb_noun (list_dir, read_file) with one tool using a single verb (search). All use consistent snake_case, but slight pattern deviation prevents a perfect score.

Tool Count5/5

Three tools is a reasonable and focused set for basic file operations within a sandbox. Each tool serves a distinct and necessary function.

Completeness2/5

Only read-only operations are provided. Missing write, update, or delete tools, which are essential for a file manipulation server, leaving significant gaps.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive
ResponsivenessSyncing

Resources

Unclaimed servers have limited discoverability.

Looking for Admin?

If you are the server author, to access and configure the admin panel.

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