npm package: @memory-bank/mcp
Description: Memory-enabled Co-Pilot (MCP) server for managing project documentation and context
Latest version: 3.0.0

# @memory-bank/mcp (v2.5.0)

This package provides the core implementation of the Memory-enabled Co-Pilot (MCP) server for managing project documentation and context.

## Overview

The MCP (Memory-enabled Co-Pilot) server is the central component of the Memory Bank system. It offers:

- Persistent storage for project knowledge and context using a file-system based approach.
- Branch-specific memory banks for isolated feature work context.
- A global memory bank for project-wide information accessible across branches.
- A structured JSON-based document format (`memory_document_v2` schema).
- A tagging system for organizing and retrieving information efficiently.
- An MCP interface allowing AI agents (like Claude) to interact with the memory banks via defined tools.

## Installation

This package is primarily intended to be used as an MCP server executable.

```bash
# Using yarn (within the monorepo)
# No direct installation needed if running from the monorepo root

# Using npm (if published)
npm install @memory-bank/mcp
```

## Usage as an MCP Server

The primary way to use this package is by running it as an MCP server, which can then be connected to by an MCP client (e.g., Claude Desktop or a custom integration).

### Running the Server

**Using NPX (Recommended for published package):**

```bash
# Replace @latest with the desired version if needed
npx @memory-bank/mcp@latest --docs /path/to/your/docs
```

**From Monorepo Source:**

```bash
# From the monorepo root directory
yarn workspace @memory-bank/mcp start --docs /path/to/your/docs
# Or for development with auto-reload:
yarn workspace @memory-bank/mcp dev --docs /path/to/your/docs
```

**Server Options:**

- `--docs, -d`: **Required.** Path to the project's documentation directory (containing `global-memory-bank` and `branch-memory-bank`). Specifying this (or using environment variables `MEMORY_BANK_ROOT` or `DOCS_ROOT`) enables **Project Mode**, which allows features like automatic Git branch detection.
- `--verbose, -v`: Enable verbose logging (default: false).
- `--language, -l`: Default language for templates ('en', 'ja' or 'zh', default: 'en').

### Interacting via MCP Tools

Once the server is running, clients interact with it using the defined MCP tools. Refer to the core tool manual (`docs/global-memory-bank/core/mcp-tool-manual.json`) for details on available tools:

- `write_document`: Writes a document to either branch or global memory bank based on the `scope` parameter.
- `read_document`: Reads a document from either branch or global memory bank based on the `scope` parameter.
- `read_context`: Reads rules, branch memory bank, and global memory bank information at once.
- `search_documents_by_tags`: Searches for documents by tags in branch and/or global memory banks.

### Document Operations

The server provides a unified interface for working with both branch and global memory banks:

- `write_document`: Writes a document to either branch or global memory bank based on the `scope` parameter.
- `read_document`: Reads a document from either branch or global memory bank based on the `scope` parameter.

These unified commands provide several advantages:
- Single interface for both branch and global operations
- Explicit scope selection (`scope: 'branch'` or `scope: 'global'`)
- Automatic branch detection in project mode
- Support for JSON patches when updating documents
- Cleaner API design and less redundancy

Examples:

```javascript
// Writing to branch memory bank
const result = await write_document({
  scope: 'branch',
  branch: 'feature/my-branch', // Optional in project mode
  path: 'data/config.json',
  content: { key: 'value' },
  tags: ['config', 'feature'],
  docs: './docs'
});

// Reading from global memory bank
const result = await read_document({
  scope: 'global',
  path: 'core/config.json',
  docs: './docs'
});

// Updating with JSON patches
const result = await write_document({
  scope: 'branch',
  path: 'data/config.json',
  patches: [{ op: 'replace', path: '/key', value: 'new-value' }],
  docs: './docs'
});
```

## Architecture

The `@memory-bank/mcp` package follows clean architecture principles:

- **Domain Layer**: Core business logic, entities (e.g., `MemoryDocument`, `BranchInfo`), and interfaces.
- **Application Layer**: Use cases orchestrating domain logic (e.g., `WriteBranchDocumentUseCase`, `ReadContextUseCase`).
- **Interface Layer**: Controllers handling MCP requests and presenters formatting responses.
- **Infrastructure Layer**: Concrete implementations for external concerns like file system access (`FileSystem*Repository`), configuration, and indexing.

## Key Dependencies

- `@memory-bank/schemas`: JSON schema definitions for Memory Bank documents.
- `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk`: SDK for implementing MCP servers and clients.
- `rfc6902`: Used for applying JSON Patch operations (RFC 6902).
- `fs-extra`: Provides enhanced file system operations.
- `yargs`: Used for parsing command-line arguments for the server executable.
- `uuid`: Generates UUIDs.

## Development

```bash
# Install dependencies (from monorepo root)
yarn install

# Build the package
yarn workspace @memory-bank/mcp build

# Run the server in development mode (with auto-reload)
yarn workspace @memory-bank/mcp dev --docs /path/to/test/docs

# Run tests
yarn workspace @memory-bank/mcp test # Unit tests (if any)
yarn workspace @memory-bank/mcp test:integration # Integration tests
yarn workspace @memory-bank/mcp test:e2e # End-to-end tests
```

## Troubleshooting

### Module Resolution Issues in E2E Tests

If you encounter errors like the following when running E2E tests:

```
Error: No "exports" main defined in /path/to/node_modules/@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/package.json imported from /path/to/node_modules/@t3ta/mcp-test/dist/index.mjs
```

This is due to a compatibility issue between `@t3ta/mcp-test` and `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk`. The fix implemented in Issue #160 uses a mock implementation to bypass this dependency issue.

The solution involves:
1. A custom mock of `MCPTestClient` in `tests/e2e/mocks/mcp-test-mock.ts`
2. Using this mock instead of the actual SDK in the E2E tests
3. Simplifying the Vitest configuration to avoid complex module resolution

If you need to modify the E2E tests, be aware of this workaround and maintain the mock implementation as needed.

## License

MIT