mcp_client_python_getting_started

MCP Client Python Getting Started

Note: This project follows the Model Context Protocol (MCP) Getting Started tutorial for client developers. The official code sample can also be found at github.com/modelcontextprotocol/quickstart-resources/tree/main/mcp-client-python.

This project provides a Python client for interacting with an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server using Anthropic's Claude models and tool use. It demonstrates how to connect to a remote MCP server, send queries, and process tool calls via Claude.

Features

• Connects to a Python or Node.js MCP server via stdio
• Uses Anthropic Claude (via the anthropic Python SDK) for LLM-powered tool use
• Interactive chat loop for sending queries and receiving responses
• Automatic tool discovery and invocation

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• An Anthropic API key (get one here)
• Access to an MCP server script (Python or Node.js)

Installation

1. Clone this repository and navigate to the mcp-client directory:

   git clone <repo-url>
   cd mcp-client
   

2. Install dependencies (preferably in a virtual environment):

   pip install -e .
   # or
   pip install anthropic mcp python-dotenv
   

Setup

1. Set your Anthropic API key:

   • Create a .env file in the mcp-client directory with the following content:

     ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-anthropic-api-key-here
     

   • Alternatively, export it in your shell:

     export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-anthropic-api-key-here
     

2. Prepare an MCP server script:

   • You need a compatible MCP server script (Python .py or Node.js .js).
   • Example: python my_mcp_server.py or node my_mcp_server.js

Usage

Run the client and connect to your MCP server:

uv run client.py <path_to_server_script>

eg.

uv run client.py ../../mcp_python_getting_started3/weather/weather.py

• Replace <path_to_server_script> with the path to your MCP server script (e.g., ../my_mcp_server.py).
• The client will connect, list available tools, and start an interactive chat loop.
• Type your queries and press Enter. Type quit to exit.

Example

python client.py ../my_mcp_server.py

Project Structure

• client.py - Main client implementation
• pyproject.toml - Project metadata and dependencies
• .env - (Not included) Place your Anthropic API key here

Environment Variables

• ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (required): Your Anthropic Claude API key. Get one here.

License

MIT