Parent Epic
Part of #18 - STDIO Transport Support (Broker + Shim Architecture)
Description
Update documentation to explain the broker architecture, STDIO transport via the shim, multi-instance support, and configuration.
Implementation
Modify: README.md
New Sections
Broker Architecture
- How the broker manages multiple VS instances
- Auto-start: first VS instance spawns the broker, subsequent instances register
- Health checks and automatic cleanup
STDIO Transport (Claude Desktop/Code)
- Prerequisites: VS running with extension loaded
- Configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"visual-studio": {
"command": "C:/path/to/CodingWithCalvin.MCPServer.Shim.exe",
"args": ["--broker-port", "5100"]
}
}
}
- Finding Shim.exe path (VS extension install directory)
- How it works: Shim bridges STDIO to broker's HTTP endpoint
HTTP/SSE Transport (Direct)
- For custom MCP clients
- Connect to
http://localhost:5100/sse
Multi-Instance Support
- Multiple VS instances auto-register with broker
- Instance discovery:
list_instances tool
- Instance selection:
select_instance tool
- Auto-matching by working directory
Configuration
- Broker settings:
UseBroker (default: true), BrokerPort (default: 5100)
- Standalone mode: disable broker for single-instance simplicity
Comparison Table
|
Standalone (No Broker) |
Broker + HTTP |
Broker + STDIO (Shim) |
| Best for |
Single VS, simple setup |
Custom MCP clients |
Claude Desktop/Code |
| Multi-instance |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Setup |
Connect to localhost:5050/sse |
Connect to localhost:5100/sse |
Configure Shim.exe path |
| VS must be running |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Dependencies
- Requires all other phases complete
Acceptance Criteria
Parent Epic
Part of #18 - STDIO Transport Support (Broker + Shim Architecture)
Description
Update documentation to explain the broker architecture, STDIO transport via the shim, multi-instance support, and configuration.
Implementation
Modify:
README.mdNew Sections
Broker Architecture
STDIO Transport (Claude Desktop/Code)
{ "mcpServers": { "visual-studio": { "command": "C:/path/to/CodingWithCalvin.MCPServer.Shim.exe", "args": ["--broker-port", "5100"] } } }HTTP/SSE Transport (Direct)
http://localhost:5100/sseMulti-Instance Support
list_instancestoolselect_instancetoolConfiguration
UseBroker(default: true),BrokerPort(default: 5100)Comparison Table
localhost:5050/sselocalhost:5100/sseDependencies
Acceptance Criteria