lets-learn-mcp-csharp

# Let's Learn MCP with C# - Tutorial Series A comprehensive guide to understanding and building Model Context Protocol (MCP) Servers for C# developers. ## What You'll Build By the end of this tutorial series, you'll have: 1. **🐒 MyMonkey App** - A fun console application that uses existing MCP servers to manage monkey data and create GitHub issues 2. **🍽️ Lunch Roulette MCP Server** - Your own custom MCP server that helps AI assistants pick restaurants and track dining preferences ## Tutorial Structure ### [Part 1: Prerequisites and Setup](part1-setup.md) **⏱️ Time: 15-20 minutes** Set up your development environment and understand MCP fundamentals: - Install VS Code, .NET 9 SDK, and C# Dev Kit - Learn what Model Context Protocol is and why it matters - Understand the client-server architecture - Verify your development environment **Start here**: [Part 1: Prerequisites and Setup →](part1-setup.md) --- ### [Part 2: Using MCP Servers - MyMonkey App](part2-monkey-app.md) **⏱️ Time: 15-30 minutes** Learn to use existing MCP servers by building a monkey-themed application: - Configure MonkeyMCP and GitHub MCP servers - Create C# models for monkey data - Build an interactive console application with ASCII art - Integrate with GitHub to create issues programmatically - Understand how AI assistants interact with MCP servers **What you'll create**: ``` 🐒 Random Monkey Picker! ======================== Name: Proboscis Monkey Location: Borneo Population: 15,000 Details: Known for their distinctive large nose... ``` **Continue to**: [Part 2: MyMonkey App →](part2-monkey-app.md) --- ### [Part 3: Building Your Own MCP Server - Lunch Roulette](part3-lunch-server.md) **⏱️ Time: 30-45 minutes** Build a complete MCP server from scratch: - Create a restaurant management service with JSON persistence - Implement four MCP tools for AI assistant integration - Handle dependency injection and async operations - Test and deploy your server - Understand MCP protocol implementation details **What you'll build**: - `GetRestaurants()` - List all available restaurants - `AddRestaurant()` - Add new dining options - `PickRandomRestaurant()` - AI-powered lunch selection - `GetVisitStatistics()` - Track dining patterns **Continue to**: [Part 3: Lunch Roulette Server →](part3-lunch-server.md) --- ## Quick Start If you're ready to dive in immediately: 1. **Prerequisites**: Ensure you have VS Code, .NET 9 SDK, and C# Dev Kit installed 2. **Choose your path**: - 🆕 **New to MCP?** Start with [Part 1: Setup](part1-setup.md) - 🔧 **Want to use MCP?** Jump to [Part 2: MyMonkey App](part2-monkey-app.md) - 🏗️ **Ready to build?** Go to [Part 3: Lunch Server](part3-lunch-server.md) ## Learning Outcomes After completing this tutorial series, you'll understand: - ✅ **MCP Fundamentals** - What MCP is and how it enables AI-tool integration - ✅ **Consumer Patterns** - How to use existing MCP servers in your applications - ✅ **Server Development** - How to build and deploy your own MCP servers - ✅ **C# Best Practices** - Dependency injection, async patterns, and JSON serialization - ✅ **AI Integration** - How AI assistants interact with your tools and services ## Technology Stack This tutorial uses modern C# development practices: - **.NET 9** - Latest .NET runtime with performance improvements - **C# 13** - Modern language features and syntax - **System.Text.Json** - High-performance JSON serialization with source generators - **Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting** - Dependency injection and application lifecycle - **ModelContextProtocol** - Official C# SDK for MCP server development ## Repository Structure ``` letslearnmcp-csharp/ ├── README.md # This overview ├── part1-setup.md # Prerequisites and environment setup ├── part2-monkey-app.md # Using existing MCP servers └── part3-lunch-server.md # Building your own MCP server ``` ## Additional Resources - 📖 [MCP Official Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) - 🛠️ [C# MCP SDK Repository](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/csharp-sdk) - 🐒 [MyMonkey App Repository](https://github.com/jamesmontemagno/MyMonkeyAppMCP) - 🍽️ [Lunch Roulette Repository](https://github.com/jamesmontemagno/LunchRouletteMCP) ## Contributing This tutorial is open source! Feel free to: - 🐛 Submit improvements and corrections - 💡 Add more examples and use cases - 🤝 Share your own MCP server implementations - 💬 Help others in the discussions --- **Ready to get started?** Begin with [Part 1: Prerequisites and Setup →](part1-setup.md) *Happy coding! 🐒🍽️*