mcp-for-beginners

The MCP for Beginners server exposes a foundational MCP endpoint set designed to help new users learn how tools and services communicate using the Model Context Protocol. The repository focuses on hands-on MCP concepts across multiple languages and provides clear tutorials, sample code, and step-by-step guidance. By running the server locally, you can explore basic MCP concepts such as tool adapters, context passing, and simple capability queries, all within a beginner-friendly curriculum. Use the included documentation to follow along with examples in C#, Java, JavaScript, Rust, Python, and TypeScript, and experiment with connecting model-powered workflows to mock tools or real services as you learn.

Once the server is running, you can interact with its endpoints to discover available capabilities, simulate tool invocations, and observe how context and tool results flow through an MCP-compliant pipeline. The provided materials are designed to help you understand the MCP wiring pattern, test simple adapters, and build confidence before attempting more advanced integrations with production tools and platforms.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js (12.x or newer) and npm installed on your system
• Basic command line familiarity

Installation steps:

1. Clone the repository git clone https://github.com/microsoft/mcp-for-beginners.git cd mcp-for-beginners

2. Install dependencies npm install

3. Run the MCP server locally (default port 3000) npm start

4. Verify it's running

   • Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser or use curl to query the MCP endpoints

Notes:

• If you change port or environment, update the PORT environment variable accordingly.
• Ensure your Node.js version is compatible with the repository's dependencies.

Tips and common issues:

• Ensure dependencies install cleanly with npm install; if you encounter network-related npm issues, try using a different registry or a VPN.
• The environment variable PORT can be changed to fit your development environment (e.g., PORT=8080).
• When experimenting with adapters, start with simple echo or mock tools to verify the MCP wiring before integrating real services.
• Review the curriculum documentation for step-by-step exercises and language-specific samples to understand how MCP translates to code in your language of choice.
• If you run into port conflicts, stop any running instances or choose an alternate port and update PORT accordingly.