Hello World Dart Server

A simple Hello World MCP (Model Context Protocol) server written in Dart that demonstrates basic MCP server implementation with two example tools.

Overview

This MCP server provides a minimal example of how to implement an MCP server in Dart. It includes two basic tools:

• say_hello: Greets a person with an optional custom message
• get_server_info: Returns information about the MCP server

Features

• JSON-RPC 2.0 protocol implementation
• Stdio-based communication
• Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, macOS)
• Native binary compilation
• Simple tool demonstration

Requirements

• Dart SDK 3.0.0 or later
• Compatible MCP client

Installation

Option 1: Using Dart Runtime (Development)

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd hello-world-server
   

2. Install dependencies:

   dart pub get
   

3. Run the server:

   dart run bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart
   

Option 2: Using Pre-built Binaries (Production)

Download the appropriate binary for your platform from the Releases page:

• Windows: hello_world_mcp_server-windows-amd64.exe or hello_world_mcp_server-windows-arm64.exe
• Linux: hello_world_mcp_server-linux-amd64 or hello_world_mcp_server-linux-arm64
• macOS: hello_world_mcp_server-macos-amd64 or hello_world_mcp_server-macos-arm64

Linux/macOS Setup:

# Make the binary executable
chmod +x hello_world_mcp_server-linux-amd64

# Run the server
./hello_world_mcp_server-linux-amd64

Windows Setup:

# Run directly
hello_world_mcp_server-windows-amd64.exe

Option 3: Build from Source

# Install dependencies
dart pub get

# Compile to native executable
dart compile exe bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart -o hello_world_mcp_server

# Run the compiled binary
./hello_world_mcp_server  # Linux/macOS
hello_world_mcp_server.exe  # Windows

Usage

Running the MCP Server

The MCP server communicates via stdin/stdout using the JSON-RPC 2.0 protocol. It's designed to be used with MCP-compatible clients.

Using Native Dart Runner

dart run bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart

Using Compiled Binary

# Linux/macOS
./hello_world_mcp_server-linux-amd64

# Windows
hello_world_mcp_server-windows-amd64.exe

MCP Client Configuration

To use this server with an MCP client, configure it as a stdio-based server:

Example Configuration (MCP Client)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hello-world": {
      "command": "dart",
      "args": ["run", "/path/to/hello-world-server/bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart"]
    }
  }
}

Using Binary in MCP Client

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hello-world": {
      "command": "/path/to/hello_world_mcp_server-linux-amd64"
    }
  }
}

Manual Testing

You can test the server manually by sending JSON-RPC messages:

# Initialize the server
echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize","params":{}}' | dart run bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart

# List available tools
echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"method":"tools/list","params":{}}' | dart run bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart

# Call the say_hello tool
echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":3,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"say_hello","arguments":{"name":"World","message":"Greetings"}}}' | dart run bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart

# Get server information
echo '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":4,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_server_info","arguments":{}}}' | dart run bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart

Available Tools

say_hello

Greets a person with an optional custom message.

Parameters:

• name (required, string): The name of the person to greet
• message (optional, string): Custom message (defaults to "Hello")

Example:

{
  "name": "say_hello",
  "arguments": {
    "name": "Alice",
    "message": "Good morning"
  }
}

Response:

Good morning, Alice! 👋

get_server_info

Returns information about this MCP server.

Parameters: None

Example:

{
  "name": "get_server_info",
  "arguments": {}
}

Response:

Hello World MCP Server Information:
- Name: hello-world-server
- Version: 1.0.0
- Language: Dart
- Protocol Version: 2024-11-05
- Available Tools: say_hello, get_server_info

This is a simple demonstration MCP server that shows how to implement basic tools using Dart.

Development

Project Structure

hello-world-server/
├── bin/
│   └── hello_world_mcp_server.dart  # Main server implementation
├── dagger/
│   └── build_script.py              # Dagger build script for multi-platform builds
├── artifacts/                       # Build output directory (created by Dagger)
├── BUILD.md                         # Detailed build instructions
├── LICENSE                          # MIT License
├── pubspec.yaml                     # Dart project configuration
├── pyproject.toml                   # Python project config for Dagger builds
├── README.md                        # This file
└── .gitignore                       # Git ignore rules

Running in Development

# Install dependencies
dart pub get

# Run the server
dart run bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart

# Run with debugging output
dart run bin/hello_world_mcp_server.dart 2>debug.log

Building

Option 1: Using Dagger (Recommended)

This project uses Dagger for reproducible, containerized builds across all platforms.

Note for Windows developers, Python is used for the dagger builds, but that piece is best done in 'nix.

Prerequisites:

• Python 3.11+
• Docker (for Dagger)

Build all platforms:

# Install Python dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the Dagger build script
python build_script.py

This will build binaries for:

• Windows (AMD64, ARM64)
• Linux (AMD64, ARM64)
• macOS/Darwin (AMD64, ARM64)

All binaries will be saved to the artifacts/ directory.

Using pyproject.toml:

# Install in development mode
pip install -e .

# Run the build command
build-binaries

Option 2: Manual Build

See BUILD.md for comprehensive build instructions, including:

• Manual compilation
• Cross-platform building
• Release process

Protocol Details

This server implements the MCP (Model Context Protocol) specification:

• Protocol Version: 2024-11-05
• Transport: stdio (stdin/stdout)
• Message Format: JSON-RPC 2.0
• Capabilities: Tools

Supported Methods

• initialize - Initialize the MCP session
• notifications/initialized - Acknowledge initialization
• tools/list - List available tools
• tools/call - Execute a tool

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

Please ensure your changes:

• Follow Dart coding conventions
• Include appropriate tests
• Don't break existing functionality
• Update documentation as needed

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions, please use the GitHub repository's issue tracker.

Related

• Model Context Protocol Specification
• Dart Language
• JSON-RPC 2.0 Specification