VS Code MCP Server

A Visual Studio Code extension (available on the Marketplace) that allows Claude and other MCP clients to code directly in VS Code! Inspired by Serena, but using VS Code's built-in capabilities. This is currently far simpler than Serena, but it works! Note that this extension uses the streamable HTTP API, not the SSE API.

This extension can allow for execution of shell commands. This means that there is a potential security risk, so use with caution, and ensure that you trust the MCP client that you are using and that the port is not exposed to anything. Authentication would help, but as the MCP authentication spec is still in flux, this has not been implemented for now.

PRs are welcome!

Demo Video

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/20b87dfb-fc39-4710-a910-b9481dde1e90

Installation

1. Install the extension from the Marketplace or clone this repository and run npm install and npm run compile to build it.

Claude Desktop Configuration

Claude Desktop can be configured to use this extension as an MCP server. To do this, your claude_desktop_config.json file should look like this:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vscode-mcp-server": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["mcp-remote@next", "http://localhost:3000/mcp"]
    }

  }
}

I also like to use this extension in a Claude project, as it allows me to specify additional instructions for Claude. I find the following prompt to work well:

You are working on an existing codebase, which you can access using your tools. These code tools interact with a VS Code workspace.

Before running code tools that will make any modification to code, always present a comprehensive and detailed plan to the user, including your confidence level (out of 10). When planning, use your tools to explore the codebase so that you understand the context of the project. If you are not confident in your plan because you require more information, use your tools, such as web search, to look for this information or ask the user.

IMPORTANT: Only run code tools that will modify code after presenting such a plan to the user, and receiving explicit approval. Approval must be given each time; prior approval for a change does not imply that subsequent changes are approved.

This extension serves as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, exposing VS Code's filesystem and editing capabilities to MCP clients.

Features

The VS Code MCP Server extension implements an MCP-compliant server that allows AI models and other MCP clients to:

• List files and directories in your VS Code workspace
• Read file contents with encoding support and size limits
• Create new files using VS Code's WorkspaceEdit API
• Check for diagnostics (errors and warnings) in your workspace
• Execute shell commands in the integrated terminal with shell integration
• Toggle the server on and off via a status bar item

This extension enables AI assistants and other tools to interact with your VS Code workspace through the standardized MCP protocol.

How It Works

The extension creates an MCP server that:

1. Runs locally on a configurable port (when enabled)
2. Handles MCP protocol requests via HTTP
3. Exposes VS Code's functionality as MCP tools
4. Provides a status bar indicator showing server status, which can be clicked to toggle the server on/off

Supported MCP Tools

File Tools

• list_files_code: Lists files and directories in your workspace

  • Parameters:
    • path: The path to list files from
    • recursive (optional): Whether to list files recursively

• read_file_code: Reads file contents

  • Parameters:
    • path: The path to the file to read
    • encoding (optional): File encoding (default: utf-8)
    • maxCharacters (optional): Maximum character count (default: 100,000)

Edit Tools

• create_file_code: Creates a new file using VS Code's WorkspaceEdit API
  • Parameters:
    • path: The path to the file to create
    • content: The content to write to the file
    • overwrite (optional): Whether to overwrite if the file exists (default: false)
    • ignoreIfExists (optional): Whether to ignore if the file exists (default: false)

Diagnostics Tools

• get_diagnostics_code: Checks for warnings and errors in your workspace

  • Parameters:
    • path (optional): File path to check (if not provided, checks the entire workspace)
    • severities (optional): Array of severity levels to include (0=Error, 1=Warning, 2=Information, 3=Hint). Default: [0, 1]
    • format (optional): Output format ('text' or 'json'). Default: 'text'
    • includeSource (optional): Whether to include the diagnostic source. Default: true

  This tool is particularly useful for:

  • Code quality checks before committing changes
  • Verifying fixes resolved all reported issues
  • Identifying problems in specific files or the entire workspace

Shell Tools

• execute_shell_command_code: Executes a shell command in the VS Code integrated terminal with shell integration

  • Parameters:
    • command: The shell command to execute
    • cwd (optional): Optional working directory for the command (default: '.')

  This tool is useful for:

  • Running CLI commands and build operations
  • Executing git commands
  • Performing any shell operations that require terminal access
  • Getting command output for analysis and further processing

Caveats/TODO

Currently, only one workspace is supported. The extension also only works locally, to avoid exposing your VS Code instance to any network you may be connected to.

Extension Settings

This extension contributes the following settings:

• vscode-mcp-server.port: The port number for the MCP server (default: 3000)

Using with MCP Clients

To connect MCP clients to this server, configure them to use:

http://localhost:3000/mcp

Remember that you need to enable the server first by clicking on the status bar item!

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to submit issues or pull requests.

License

MIT