awesome-copilot/plugins/java-mcp-development/skills/java-mcp-server-generator/references/gradle.md

Gradle Projects

Use this file only when the project uses Gradle or the user asks for Gradle. The Java code and the tests do not change.

Create the project

Make this layout. Do not write pom.xml:

project-name/
├── settings.gradle.kts
├── build.gradle.kts
└── src/
    ├── main/java/com/example/McpServerApp.java
    └── test/java/com/example/McpServerAppTest.java

Write settings.gradle.kts:

rootProject.name = "mcp-server-demo"

Write build.gradle.kts:

plugins {
    application
}

group = "com.example"
version = "0.1.0"

repositories {
    mavenCentral()
}

dependencies {
    implementation(platform("io.modelcontextprotocol.sdk:mcp-bom:2.0.1"))
    implementation("io.modelcontextprotocol.sdk:mcp")
    runtimeOnly("org.slf4j:slf4j-simple:2.0.17")

    testImplementation(platform("org.junit:junit-bom:6.1.3"))
    testImplementation("org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter")
    testRuntimeOnly("org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher")
}

tasks.withType<JavaCompile> {
    options.release = 17
}

application {
    mainClass = "com.example.McpServerApp"
}

tasks.test {
    useJUnitPlatform()
}

Build until the tests pass

1. If the project has no gradlew file, run gradle wrapper one time.
2. Run ./gradlew build installDist. This command compiles the code and runs the tests. It also makes the start script build/install/mcp-server-demo/bin/mcp-server-demo.
3. If a test fails, read the error. Fix the server or the test.
4. Run ./gradlew build installDist again.
5. Continue only when the build is successful.

Configure the client

For VS Code, write .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "demo": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/absolute/path/to/project/build/install/mcp-server-demo/bin/mcp-server-demo"
    }
  }
}

On Windows, use mcp-server-demo.bat.

Gotchas

• Gradle 9 does not add the JUnit Platform launcher. Without junit-platform-launcher, the test task fails.
• The application plugin does not make an executable JAR. The JAR in build/libs has no Main-Class and no dependencies. Use the start script from installDist.
• Do not use ./gradlew run as the client command. The run task does not send stdin to the server. Gradle also writes its own output to stdout.