C++
Lightweight C++ MCP (Model Context Protocol) SDK
What is C++?
C++ is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to lightweight c++ mcp (model context protocol) sdk
Lightweight C++ MCP (Model Context Protocol) SDK
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Lightweight C++ MCP (Model Context Protocol) SDK
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx cppConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use C++
The C++ MCP SDK (cpp-mcp) is a lightweight, header-friendly library that lets developers build Model Context Protocol servers and clients in native C++. It implements JSON-RPC 2.0 over both HTTP/SSE and stdio transports, making it suitable for embedded systems, high-performance services, or existing C++ codebases that need to expose tools to LLM agents. Developers use it to register custom tools and resources, connect to running MCP servers, or embed an MCP agent loop directly inside a C++ application.
Prerequisites
- C++17-compatible compiler (GCC 9+, Clang 10+, or MSVC 2019+)
- CMake 3.15 or later
- Git (for cloning the repository and initialising submodules)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop if you want to test the server interactively
- Optional: OpenSSL development headers for TLS/HTTPS support
Clone the repository and initialise submodules
The SDK uses git submodules for its dependencies. Clone the repo and update submodules before building.
git clone https://github.com/hkr04/cpp-mcp.git
cd cpp-mcp
git submodule update --init --recursiveBuild the SDK with CMake
Configure and build in Release mode. Add -DMCP_BUILD_TESTS=ON to also compile the test suite, or -DMCP_SSL=ON to enable TLS support.
cmake -B build
cmake --build build --config ReleaseRegister tools on your MCP server
In your C++ source, create a server configuration, register tool handlers, and start the server. The server will accept JSON-RPC calls over HTTP or stdio.
#include "mcp/server.h"
mcp::server::configuration cfg;
cfg.host = "localhost";
cfg.port = 8888;
mcp::server server(cfg);
server.register_tool(my_tool_def, my_tool_handler);
server.start(true); // blockingConnect a client via SSE or stdio
Use the SSE client to connect to a running HTTP server, or the stdio client to launch a subprocess and communicate over standard streams.
// SSE client
mcp::sse_client client("http://localhost:8888");
client.initialize("MyClient", "1.0.0");
mcp::json result = client.call_tool("my_tool", params);
// Stdio client
mcp::stdio_client sc("npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-everything");
sc.initialize("MyClient", "1.0.0");
mcp::json r = sc.call_tool("tool_name", params);Integrate with an LLM agent
The SDK ships an agent example that wires together an LLM (via API key and base URL) with the MCP tool loop. Set your provider's base URL, API key, model name, temperature, and max tokens in the agent configuration struct.
C++ Examples
CMake integration
Add cpp-mcp as a subdirectory target in your own CMakeLists.txt.
add_subdirectory(cpp-mcp)
target_link_libraries(my_app PRIVATE cpp-mcp)Prompts to try
What you can ask once your C++ MCP server is connected to Claude Desktop.
- "Call the calculate_checksum tool on this file path and return the SHA-256 hash"
- "List all available tools registered in the C++ MCP server"
- "Use the file_read tool to open config.json and summarise its contents"
- "Run the process_image tool with the provided parameters and show the result"Troubleshooting C++
CMake cannot find submodule dependencies
Run `git submodule update --init --recursive` from the repository root before configuring with CMake. Missing submodules are the most common build failure.
Linker errors with OpenSSL when building with -DMCP_SSL=ON
Install the OpenSSL development headers for your platform (e.g. `sudo apt install libssl-dev` on Debian/Ubuntu, or `brew install openssl` on macOS) and ensure CMake can find the package via `OPENSSL_ROOT_DIR`.
Server is not reachable from the SSE client
Confirm the host and port in `mcp::server::configuration` match the URL you pass to `mcp::sse_client`. Check that no firewall or OS security policy is blocking the port, and that `server.start()` was called before attempting a connection.
Frequently Asked Questions about C++
What is C++?
C++ is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lightweight c++ mcp (model context protocol) sdk It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install C++?
Follow the installation instructions on the C++ GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with C++?
C++ works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is C++ free to use?
Yes, C++ is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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