Edit-MCP: Model Context Protocol Server for Microsoft Edit

Edit-MCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with Microsoft's Edit tool to provide advanced file editing capabilities to AI systems. It follows a hybrid architecture that combines direct file system operations for performance with Microsoft Edit integration for complex editing tasks.

Overview

The Edit-MCP server acts as a sophisticated coordinator between AI systems and file editing operations. It exposes a standardized MCP interface that allows AI models to:

• Read and write files
• Search and replace text
• Format code
• Perform complex editing operations
• Coordinate multi-file edits
• And more...

Architecture

Edit-MCP follows a hybrid architecture with the following components:

1. Core MCP Server

• Handles MCP protocol communication
• Routes operations to appropriate subsystems
• Manages file state and metadata
• Coordinates between multiple Edit instances
• Provides caching and optimization

2. File System Manager

• Performs direct file operations for simple tasks
• Handles basic CRUD operations
• Provides text search and simple find/replace
• Manages file metadata operations
• Supports batch operations across multiple files

3. Edit Instance Manager

• Manages Microsoft Edit processes for complex operations
• Handles complex editing scenarios
• Coordinates multi-file operations
• Manages Edit's TUI interactions programmatically

4. Operation Router

• Decides which subsystem handles each operation
• Routes simple operations to File System Manager
• Routes complex operations to Edit Instance Manager
• Coordinates hybrid operations between both subsystems

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 16 or higher
• Microsoft Edit installed and available in your PATH

Install from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/mixelpixx/edit-mcp.git
cd edit-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

Usage

Starting the Server

You can start the Edit-MCP server using either stdio or HTTP transport:

# Start with stdio transport (for direct integration with AI systems)
npm run stdio

# Start with HTTP transport (for web-based integration)
npm run http

Command Line Options

Usage: edit-mcp [options]

Options:
  -V, --version                output the version number
  -p, --port <port>            Port to listen on for HTTP transport (default: "3000")
  -e, --edit-path <path>       Path to the Edit executable
  -m, --max-instances <number> Maximum number of Edit instances (default: "5")
  -t, --timeout <milliseconds> Timeout for Edit instances in milliseconds (default: "300000")
  -c, --config <path>          Path to configuration file
  -d, --debug                  Enable debug logging
  -s, --stdio                  Use stdio transport instead of HTTP
  -h, --help                   display help for command

Configuration

You can configure Edit-MCP using a JSON configuration file:

{
  "editExecutable": "/path/to/edit",
  "maxEditInstances": 5,
  "instanceTimeout": 300000,
  "simpleOperationThreshold": 1000,
  "complexityFactors": {
    "fileSize": 0.3,
    "operationType": 0.4,
    "contextRequirement": 0.3
  }
}

Available Tools

Edit-MCP provides the following tools:

File System Tools

• read_file: Read the contents of a file
• write_file: Write content to a file
• list_files: List files in a directory
• find_in_file: Find occurrences of a pattern in a file

Edit Tools

• format_code: Format code in a file
• complex_find_replace: Perform advanced find and replace operations
• interactive_edit_session: Start an interactive editing session

Hybrid Tools

• smart_refactor: Intelligently refactor code across multiple files
• backup_and_edit: Create backups of files before editing them

HTTP Transport

Edit-MCP now supports HTTP transport in addition to stdio, allowing remote access and REST API endpoints.

Starting with HTTP Transport

# Start with default HTTP port (3000)
edit-mcp

# Start with custom port
edit-mcp --port 8080

# Start with configuration file
edit-mcp --config config.http.example.json

REST API Endpoints

Health Check

GET /health

JSON-RPC Endpoint

POST /jsonrpc
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "read_file",
    "arguments": {
      "path": "example.txt"
    }
  },
  "id": 1
}

REST API Endpoints

• GET /api/tools - List available tools
• POST /api/tools/:toolName - Call a specific tool
• GET /api/files/:path - Read file content
• PUT /api/files/:path - Write file content
• GET /api/list/:directory - List files in directory
• POST /api/search - Search for patterns in files
• POST /api/format - Format code
• POST /api/refactor - Refactor symbols across files
• GET /api/docs - API documentation

Authentication

Enable API key authentication by setting authEnabled: true in your config:

{
  "authEnabled": true,
  "apiKey": "your-secure-api-key"
}

Include the API key in requests:

• Header: X-API-Key: your-secure-api-key
• Query parameter: ?apiKey=your-secure-api-key

CORS Configuration

Configure allowed origins in your config file:

{
  "corsOrigins": ["http://localhost:*", "https://yourdomain.com"]
}

Rate Limiting

Configure rate limiting to prevent abuse:

{
  "rateLimitWindowMs": 900000,  // 15 minutes
  "rateLimitMax": 100           // 100 requests per window
}

Development

Building the Project

# Build the project
npm run build

# Watch for changes and rebuild
npm run watch

Running in Development Mode

# Run with hot reloading
npm run dev

License

MIT

Acknowledgements

• Microsoft for the Edit tool
• The Model Context Protocol community