Let’s Learn MCP with C# - Tutorial Series

A comprehensive guide to understanding and building Model Context Protocol (MCP) Servers for C# developers.

What You’ll Build

By the end of this tutorial series, you’ll have:

1. 🐒 MyMonkey App - A fun console application that uses existing MCP servers to manage monkey data and create GitHub issues
2. 🍽️ Lunch Roulette MCP Server - Your own custom MCP server that helps AI assistants pick restaurants and track dining preferences

Tutorial Structure

Part 1: Prerequisites and Setup

⏱️ Time: 15-20 minutes

Set up your development environment and understand MCP fundamentals:

• Install VS Code, .NET 9 SDK, and C# Dev Kit
• Learn what Model Context Protocol is and why it matters
• Understand the client-server architecture
• Verify your development environment

Start here: Part 1: Prerequisites and Setup →

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Part 2: Using MCP Servers - MyMonkey App

⏱️ Time: 15-30 minutes

Learn to use existing MCP servers by building a monkey-themed application:

• Configure MonkeyMCP and GitHub MCP servers
• Create C# models for monkey data
• Build an interactive console application with ASCII art
• Integrate with GitHub to create issues programmatically
• Understand how AI assistants interact with MCP servers

What you’ll create:

🐒 Random Monkey Picker!
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Name: Proboscis Monkey
Location: Borneo
Population: 15,000
Details: Known for their distinctive large nose...

Continue to: Part 2: MyMonkey App →

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Part 3: Building Your Own MCP Server - Lunch Roulette

⏱️ Time: 30-45 minutes

Build a complete MCP server from scratch:

• Create a restaurant management service with JSON persistence
• Implement four MCP tools for AI assistant integration
• Handle dependency injection and async operations
• Test and deploy your server
• Understand MCP protocol implementation details

What you’ll build:

• GetRestaurants() - List all available restaurants
• AddRestaurant() - Add new dining options
• PickRandomRestaurant() - AI-powered lunch selection
• GetVisitStatistics() - Track dining patterns

Continue to: Part 3: Lunch Roulette Server →

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Quick Start

If you’re ready to dive in immediately:

1. Prerequisites: Ensure you have VS Code, .NET 9 SDK, and C# Dev Kit installed
2. Choose your path:
   • 🆕 New to MCP? Start with Part 1: Setup
   • 🔧 Want to use MCP? Jump to Part 2: MyMonkey App
   • 🏗️ Ready to build? Go to Part 3: Lunch Server

Learning Outcomes

After completing this tutorial series, you’ll understand:

• ✅ MCP Fundamentals - What MCP is and how it enables AI-tool integration
• ✅ Consumer Patterns - How to use existing MCP servers in your applications
• ✅ Server Development - How to build and deploy your own MCP servers
• ✅ C# Best Practices - Dependency injection, async patterns, and JSON serialization
• ✅ AI Integration - How AI assistants interact with your tools and services

Technology Stack

This tutorial uses modern C# development practices:

• .NET 9 - Latest .NET runtime with performance improvements
• C# 13 - Modern language features and syntax
• System.Text.Json - High-performance JSON serialization with source generators
• Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting - Dependency injection and application lifecycle
• ModelContextProtocol - Official C# SDK for MCP server development

Repository Structure

letslearnmcp-csharp/
├── README.md                 # This overview
├── part1-setup.md           # Prerequisites and environment setup
├── part2-monkey-app.md      # Using existing MCP servers
└── part3-lunch-server.md    # Building your own MCP server

Additional Resources

• 📖 MCP Official Documentation
• 🛠️ C# MCP SDK Repository
• 🐒 MyMonkey App Repository
• 🍽️ Lunch Roulette Repository

Contributing

This tutorial is open source! Feel free to:

• 🐛 Submit improvements and corrections
• 💡 Add more examples and use cases
• 🤝 Share your own MCP server implementations
• 💬 Help others in the discussions

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Ready to get started? Begin with Part 1: Prerequisites and Setup →

Happy coding! 🐒🍽️