Building Custom MCP Servers From Scratch Using ValorIDE: A Comprehensive Guide

This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough of building a custom MCP (Model Context Protocol) server from scratch, leveraging the powerful AI capabilities of ValorIDE. The example used will be building a "GitHub Assistant Server" to illustrate the process.

Understanding MCP and ValorIDE's Role in Building Servers

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) acts as a bridge between large language models (LLMs) like Claude and external tools and data. MCP consists of two key components:

• MCP Hosts: These are applications that integrate with LLMs, such as ValorIDE, Claude Desktop, and others.
• MCP Servers: These are small programs specifically designed to expose data or specific functionalities to the LLMs through the MCP.

This setup is beneficial when you have an MCP-compliant chat interface, like Claude Desktop, which can then leverage these servers to access information and execute actions.

Why Use ValorIDE to Create MCP Servers?

ValorIDE streamlines the process of building and integrating MCP servers by utilizing its AI capabilities to:

• Understand Natural Language Instructions: You can communicate with ValorIDE in a way that feels natural, making the development process intuitive and user-friendly.
• Clone Repositories: ValorIDE can directly clone existing MCP server repositories from GitHub, simplifying the process of using pre-built servers.
• Build Servers: Once the necessary code is in place, ValorIDE can execute commands like npm run build to compile and prepare the server for use.
• Handle Configuration: ValorIDE manages the configuration files required for the MCP server, including adding the new server to the valoride_mcp_settings.json file.
• Assist with Troubleshooting: If errors arise during development or testing, ValorIDE can help identify the cause and suggest solutions, making debugging easier.

Building a GitHub Assistant Server Using ValorIDE: A Step-by-Step Guide

This section demonstrates how to create a GitHub Assistant server using ValorIDE. This server will be able to interact with GitHub data and perform useful actions:

1. Defining the Goal and Initial Requirements

First, you need to clearly communicate to ValorIDE the purpose and functionalities of your server:

• Server Goal: Inform ValorIDE that you want to build a "GitHub Assistant Server". Specify that this server will interact with GitHub data and potentially mention the types of data you are interested in, like issues, pull requests, and user profiles.
• Access Requirements: Let ValorIDE know that you need to access the GitHub API. Explain that this will likely require a personal access token (GITHUB_TOKEN) for authentication.
• Data Specificity (Optional): You can optionally tell ValorIDE about specific fields of data you want to extract from GitHub, but this can also be determined later as you define the server's tools.

2. ValorIDE Initiates the Project Setup

Based on your instructions, ValorIDE starts the project setup process:

• Project Structure: ValorIDE might ask you for a name for your server. Afterward, it uses the MCP create-server tool to generate the basic project structure for your GitHub Assistant server. This usually involves creating a new directory with essential files like package.json, tsconfig.json, and a src folder for your TypeScript code. \
• Code Generation: ValorIDE generates starter code for your server, including:
  • File Handling Utilities: Functions to help with reading and writing files, commonly used for storing data or logs. \
  • GitHub API Client: Code to interact with the GitHub API, often using libraries like @octokit/graphql. ValorIDE will likely ask for your GitHub username or the repositories you want to work with. \
  • Core Server Logic: The basic framework for handling requests from ValorIDE and routing them to the appropriate functions, as defined by the MCP. \
• Dependency Management: ValorIDE analyzes the code and identifies necessary dependencies, adding them to the package.json file. For example, interacting with the GitHub API will likely require packages like @octokit/graphql, graphql, axios, or similar. \
• Dependency Installation: ValorIDE executes npm install to download and install the dependencies listed in package.json, ensuring your server has all the required libraries to function correctly. \
• Path Corrections: During development, you might move files or directories around. ValorIDE intelligently recognizes these changes and automatically updates file paths in your code to maintain consistency.
• Configuration: ValorIDE will modify the valoride_mcp_settings.json file to add your new GitHub Assistant server. This will include:
  • Server Start Command: ValorIDE will add the appropriate command to start your server (e.g., npm run start or a similar command).
  • Environment Variables: ValorIDE will add the required GITHUB_TOKEN variable. ValorIDE might ask you for your GitHub personal access token, or it might guide you to safely store it in a separate environment file. \
• Progress Documentation: Throughout the process, ValorIDE keeps the "Memory Bank" files updated. These files document the project's progress, highlighting completed tasks, tasks in progress, and pending tasks.

3. Testing the GitHub Assistant Server

Once ValorIDE has completed the setup and configuration, you are ready to test the server's functionality:

• Using Server Tools: ValorIDE will create various "tools" within your server, representing actions or data retrieval functions. To test, you would instruct ValorIDE to use a specific tool. Here are examples related to GitHub:
  • get_issues: To test retrieving issues, you might say to ValorIDE, "ValorIDE, use the get_issues tool from the GitHub Assistant Server to show me the open issues from the 'valoride/valoride' repository." ValorIDE would then execute this tool and present you with the results.
  • get_pull_requests: To test pull request retrieval, you could ask ValorIDE to "use the get_pull_requests tool to show me the merged pull requests from the 'facebook/react' repository from the last month." ValorIDE would execute this tool, using your GITHUB_TOKEN to access the GitHub API, and display the requested data. \
• Providing Necessary Information: ValorIDE might prompt you for additional information required to execute the tool, such as the repository name, specific date ranges, or other filtering criteria.
• ValorIDE Executes the Tool: ValorIDE handles the communication with the GitHub API, retrieves the requested data, and presents it in a clear and understandable format.

4. Refining the Server and Adding More Features

Development is often iterative. As you work with your GitHub Assistant Server, you'll discover new functionalities to add, or ways to improve existing ones. ValorIDE can assist in this ongoing process:

• Discussions with ValorIDE: Talk to ValorIDE about your ideas for new tools or improvements. For example, you might want a tool to create_issue or to get_user_profile. Discuss the required inputs and outputs for these tools with ValorIDE.
• Code Refinement: ValorIDE can help you write the necessary code for new features. ValorIDE can generate code snippets, suggest best practices, and help you debug any issues that arise.
• Testing New Functionalities: After adding new tools or functionalities, you would test them again using ValorIDE, ensuring they work as expected and integrate well with the rest of the server.
• Integration with Other Tools: You might want to integrate your GitHub Assistant server with other tools. For instance, in the "github-valoride-mcp" source, ValorIDE assists in integrating the server with Notion to create a dynamic dashboard that tracks GitHub activity. \

By following these steps, you can create a custom MCP server from scratch using ValorIDE, leveraging its powerful AI capabilities to streamline the entire process. ValorIDE not only assists with the technical aspects of building the server but also helps you think through the design, functionalities, and potential integrations.