feat: make MCP server auto-discoverable by all VS Code agents (Phase 1)

Author: noelsaw1

.mcp.README.md

@@ -1,8 +1,19 @@
-# .mcp.json — MCP Server Configuration for Claude Code
+# .mcp.json — MCP Server Configuration
 
-`.mcp.json` is how Claude Code discovers MCP servers for this project.
+`.mcp.json` is how **Claude Code** discovers MCP servers for this project (auto-discovery at repo root).
+Other clients use different config paths — see the client table below.
 JSON does not support comments, so this companion file documents the config.
 
+## Client Config Reference
+
+| Client | Config location | Schema root key | How to set up |
+|--------|----------------|-----------------|---------------|
+| **Claude Code** | `.mcp.json` (repo root, auto-discovered) | `"mcpServers"` | Checked-in already ✅ |
+| **VS Code (Copilot / Cline / etc.)** | `.vscode/mcp.json` (workspace) | `"servers"` + `"type": "stdio"` | Copy `mcp-configs/vscode.json` → `.vscode/mcp.json`, or install the AI-DDTK VS Code extension (auto-registers) |
+| **Augment Code** | `~/.augment/settings.json` (global) | `"mcpServers"` | See `AGENTS.md § MCP Server Setup` |
+| **Cursor** | `~/.cursor/mcp.json` (global) | `"mcpServers"` | Copy `mcp-configs/cursor.json` → `~/.cursor/mcp.json` |
+| **Claude Desktop** | `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` | `"mcpServers"` | Copy `mcp-configs/claude-desktop.json` |
+
 ## Repo Safety Reminder
 
 Do not commit site-specific LocalWP names, internal hostnames, user IDs, filesystem paths, bearer tokens, cookies, auth-state files, or other confidential environment details into `.mcp.json` or related MCP docs.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -13,6 +13,17 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
 - Do not edit a version block that has already been committed and pushed
 -->
 
+## [1.5.0] - 2026-03-29
+
+### Added
+- **VS Code extension — `contributes.mcpServerDefinitionProviders`** — the extension now registers the AI-DDTK MCP server directly with VS Code's agent runtime via `vscode.lm.registerMcpServerDefinitionProvider`. GitHub Copilot, Cline, Continue, and any future VS Code MCP client auto-discover the server the moment the extension is installed — no manual config files required.
+- **`tools/mcp-server/mcp-configs/vscode.json`** — template for users who prefer manual `.vscode/mcp.json` setup (VS Code Copilot workspace config format; uses `"servers"` root key and `"type": "stdio"`).
+
+### Changed
+- **VS Code extension `engines.vscode`** — bumped from `^1.85.0` to `^1.100.0` (MCP provider API requires VS Code 1.100+, May 2025).
+- **VS Code extension `isMcpConfigured()`** — now also recognises `.vscode/mcp.json` alongside `.mcp.json` / `.mcp.local.json` when checking project wiring state.
+- **`.mcp.README.md`** — retitled from "for Claude Code" to client-agnostic; added a client config reference table covering Claude Code, VS Code Copilot, Augment Code, Cursor, and Claude Desktop.
+
 ## [1.4.2] - 2026-03-26
 
 ### Added

experimental/preflight.md

@@ -91,11 +91,12 @@ Tracked here for visibility. Reference: VS Code full MCP spec blog post (June 20
 
 ### Phase 1 — Config portability
 
-- [ ] Add `tools/mcp-server/mcp-configs/vscode.json` template using VS Code Copilot schema (`"servers"` root key, `"type": "stdio"`)
+- [x] Add `tools/mcp-server/mcp-configs/vscode.json` template using VS Code Copilot schema (`"servers"` root key, `"type": "stdio"`)
 - [ ] Add `tools/mcp-server/mcp-configs/cursor.json` template (uses same `"mcpServers"` schema as Claude Code)
-- [ ] Retitle `.mcp.README.md` from "for Claude Code" to client-agnostic (e.g. "MCP Server Configuration")
+- [x] Retitle `.mcp.README.md` from "for Claude Code" to client-agnostic — now includes client config reference table
+- [x] VS Code extension now auto-registers via `contributes.mcpServerDefinitionProviders` — Copilot/Cline see it with no config files needed
 - [ ] Add VS Code Copilot setup instructions to `AGENTS.md` (alongside existing Claude Code / Augment Code sections)
-- [ ] Document the two config schemas side-by-side somewhere (`.mcp.json` vs `.vscode/mcp.json`)
+- [x] Document the two config schemas side-by-side in `.mcp.README.md` client table
 
 ### Phase 2 — `wire-project` multi-client
 

experimental/vscode-extension/package.json

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   "publisher": "hypercart",
   "license": "MIT",
   "engines": {
-    "vscode": "^1.85.0"
+    "vscode": "^1.100.0"
   },
   "categories": [
     "Other",
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@
   ],
   "main": "./dist/extension.js",
   "contributes": {
+    "mcpServerDefinitionProviders": [
+      {
+        "id": "ai-ddtk",
+        "label": "AI-DDTK WordPress Development Toolkit"
+      }
+    ],
     "commands": [
       {
         "command": "ai-ddtk.wireProject",
@@ -136,7 +142,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/node": "^18.0.0",
-    "@types/vscode": "^1.85.0",
+    "@types/vscode": "^1.100.0",
     "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "^6.0.0",
     "@typescript-eslint/parser": "^6.0.0",
     "esbuild": "^0.19.0",

experimental/vscode-extension/src/extension.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
+import * as path from 'path';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 import { AiDdtkManager } from './manager';
 import { StatusBarManager } from './statusBar';
 import { CommandHandler } from './commands';
@@ -15,6 +17,33 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
   statusBar = new StatusBarManager();
   commandHandler = new CommandHandler(manager);
 
+  // --- MCP server registration ---
+  // Exposes the AI-DDTK MCP server to ALL VS Code MCP clients:
+  // GitHub Copilot, Cline, Continue, and any future VS Code agent.
+  // Claude Code discovers the server via .mcp.json (separate mechanism).
+  const mcpChangeEmitter = new vscode.EventEmitter<void>();
+  context.subscriptions.push(mcpChangeEmitter);
+
+  context.subscriptions.push(
+    vscode.lm.registerMcpServerDefinitionProvider('ai-ddtk', {
+      onDidChangeMcpServerDefinitions: mcpChangeEmitter.event,
+      provideMcpServerDefinitions: async () => {
+        const aiDdtkPath = manager.getAiDdtkPath();
+        const startScript = path.join(aiDdtkPath, 'tools', 'mcp-server', 'start.sh');
+        if (!fs.existsSync(aiDdtkPath) || !fs.existsSync(startScript)) {
+          return [];
+        }
+        // McpStdioServerDefinition(label, command, args?, env?, version?)
+        return [
+          new vscode.McpStdioServerDefinition('AI-DDTK', 'bash', [startScript], undefined, '1.0.0'),
+        ];
+      },
+      resolveMcpServerDefinition: async (server) => server,
+    })
+  );
+  // Fire when the user changes the aiDdtkPath setting so VS Code re-queries
+  // (wired into the config-change handler below)
+
   // Register commands
   const commands = [
     vscode.commands.registerCommand('ai-ddtk.wireProject', () =>
@@ -44,11 +73,12 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
   const status = await manager.checkStatus();
   statusBar.update(status);
 
-  // Watch for configuration changes
+  // Watch for configuration changes; re-notify MCP clients if the path changes
   context.subscriptions.push(
     vscode.workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration((e) => {
       if (e.affectsConfiguration('ai-ddtk')) {
         manager.reloadConfig();
+        mcpChangeEmitter.fire(); // tell VS Code to re-query MCP server definitions
       }
     })
   );

experimental/vscode-extension/src/manager.ts

@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ export class AiDdtkManager {
     const workspaceRoot = vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders[0].uri.fsPath;
     return (
       fs.existsSync(path.join(workspaceRoot, '.mcp.local.json')) ||
-      fs.existsSync(path.join(workspaceRoot, '.mcp.json'))
+      fs.existsSync(path.join(workspaceRoot, '.mcp.json')) ||
+      fs.existsSync(path.join(workspaceRoot, '.vscode', 'mcp.json'))
     );
   }
 

tools/mcp-server/mcp-configs/vscode.json

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "servers": {
+    "ai-ddtk": {
+      "type": "stdio",
+      "command": "bash",
+      "args": ["${env:HOME}/bin/ai-ddtk/tools/mcp-server/start.sh"]
+    }
+  }
+}
+