VS MCPServer
VS MCP Server exposes Visual Studio features through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI assistants like Claude to interact with your IDE programmatically. Open files, read code, build projects, and more - all through natural conversation!
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VS MCP Server
Let AI assistants like Claude control Visual Studio through the Model Context Protocol!
π€ What is this?
VS MCP Server exposes Visual Studio features through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI assistants like Claude to interact with your IDE programmatically. Open files, read code, build projects, and more - all through natural conversation!
β¨ Features
π Solution Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
project_info | Get detailed project information |
project_list | List all projects in the solution |
solution_close | Close the current solution |
solution_info | Get information about the current solution |
solution_open | Open a solution file |
startup_project_get | Get the current startup project |
startup_project_set | Set the startup project for debugging |
π Document Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
document_active | Get the active document |
document_close | Close a document |
document_list | List all open documents |
document_open | Open a file in the editor |
document_read | Read document contents |
document_save | Saves an open document |
document_write | Write to a document |
βοΈ Editor Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
editor_find | Search within documents |
editor_goto_line | Navigate to a specific line |
editor_insert | Insert text at cursor position |
editor_replace | Find and replace text |
selection_get | Get the current text selection |
selection_set | Set the selection range |
π¨ Build Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
build_cancel | Cancel a running build |
build_project | Build a specific project |
build_solution | Build the entire solution |
build_status | Get current build status |
clean_solution | Clean the solution |
π§ Navigation Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
find_references | Find all references to a symbol |
goto_definition | Navigate to the definition of a symbol |
symbol_document | Get all symbols defined in a document |
symbol_workspace | Search for symbols across the solution |
π Debugger Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
debugger_add_breakpoint | Add a breakpoint at a file and line |
debugger_break | Pause execution (Ctrl+Alt+Break) |
debugger_continue | Continue execution (F5) |
debugger_evaluate | Evaluate an expression in the current debug context |
debugger_get_callstack | Get the call stack |
debugger_get_locals | Get local variables in current frame |
debugger_launch | Start debugging (F5), optionally for a specific project |
debugger_launch_without_debugging | Start without debugger (Ctrl+F5), optionally for a specific project |
debugger_list_breakpoints | List all breakpoints |
debugger_remove_breakpoint | Remove a breakpoint |
debugger_set_variable | Set the value of a local variable |
debugger_status | Get current debugger state |
debugger_step_into | Step into (F11) |
debugger_step_out | Step out (Shift+F11) |
debugger_step_over | Step over (F10) |
debugger_stop | Stop debugging (Shift+F5) |
π Diagnostics Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
errors_list | Read build errors, warnings, and messages from the Error List |
output_list_panes | List all available Output window panes |
output_read | Read content from an Output window pane |
output_write | Write a message to an Output window pane |
πͺ Window Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
toolwindow_hide | Hide (close) a tool window by caption |
toolwindow_show | Show a tool window by name (SolutionExplorer, ErrorList, Output, Terminal, etc.) |
window_activate | Activate (focus) a window by caption |
window_list | List all open windows with caption, kind, visibility, and GUID |
π οΈ Installation
Visual Studio Marketplace
- Open Visual Studio 2022 or 2026
- Go to Extensions > Manage Extensions
- Search for "MCP Server"
- Click Download and restart Visual Studio
Manual Installation
Download the latest .vsix from the Releases page and double-click to install.
π Usage
βΆοΈ Starting the Server
- Open Visual Studio
- Go to Tools > MCP Server > Start Server (or enable auto-start in settings)
- The MCP server starts on
http://localhost:5050
π€ Configuring Claude Desktop & Claude Code
Add this to your Claude Desktop or Claude Code MCP settings (preferred HTTP method):
{
"mcpServers": {
"visualstudio": {
"type": "http",
"url": "http://localhost:5050"
}
}
}
Legacy SSE method (deprecated, but still supported):
{
"mcpServers": {
"visualstudio": {
"type": "sse",
"url": "http://localhost:5050/sse"
}
}
}
βΉοΈ Note: The HTTP method is the preferred standard. SSE (Server-Sent Events) is a legacy protocol and should only be used for backward compatibility.
βοΈ Settings
Configure the extension at Tools > Options > MCP Server:
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-start server | Start the MCP server when Visual Studio launches | Off |
| Binding Address | Address the server binds to | localhost |
| HTTP Port | Port for the MCP server | 5050 |
| Server Name | Name reported to MCP clients | Visual Studio MCP |
| Log Level | Minimum log level for output | Information |
| Log Retention | Days to keep log files | 7 |
ποΈ Architecture
+------------------+ +----------------------+ named pipes +------------------+
| Claude Desktop | HTTP/SSE | MCPServer.Server | <-------------> | VS Extension |
| (MCP Client) | <---------> | (MCP Server) | JSON-RPC | (Tool Impl) |
+------------------+ :5050 +----------------------+ +------------------+
π€ Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Whether it's bug reports, feature requests, or pull requests - all feedback helps make this extension better.
π§ Development Setup
- Clone the repository
- Open
src/CodingWithCalvin.MCPServer.slnxin Visual Studio 2022 - Ensure you have the "Visual Studio extension development" workload installed
- Ensure you have .NET 10.0 SDK installed
- Press F5 to launch the experimental instance
π License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
π₯ Contributors
Made with β€οΈ by Coding With Calvin
