migrate-mcp-ts-template

Context

Before @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core was published as a package, users built servers by forking/cloning the mcp-ts-template repo. Those forks carry the full framework source code in their src/ and use @/ path aliases to import framework internals alongside their own server code.

This skill converts such a project to use @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core as a dependency — rewriting framework imports to package subpaths and removing the bundled framework files, while leaving server-specific code (tools, resources, prompts, services) untouched.

For the full exports catalog, see CLAUDE.md → Exports Reference.

Steps

1. Install the package: bun add @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core
2. Search for all @/ imports across src/ that reference framework internals
3. Rewrite each import using the mapping table below
4. Identify framework source files now provided by the package (see candidates below) — review each for server-specific additions before cleaning up
5. Update entry point (src/index.ts) to use createApp() from the package and the project's chosen registration pattern (fresh scaffold default: direct imports in src/index.ts)
6. Update build configs:
   • tsconfig.json extends @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/tsconfig.base.json
   • biome.json extends @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/biome
   • vitest.config.ts spreads from @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/vitest.config
7. Run bun run devcheck to verify no broken imports remain
8. Verify no @/ imports point to framework files that are no longer local

Import mapping

These are the actual @/ import paths used in framework source. Rewrite any that appear in server-specific files (tools, resources, services, config).

Core

Definition types

Utils

Services

Framework file candidates

After rewriting imports, these directories and files are candidates for cleanup — they contain framework code now provided by the package. Review each before acting: the server may have added custom files alongside framework code in any of these directories. Preserve anything server-specific.

Preserve: server-specific code under mcp-server/tools/definitions/, mcp-server/resources/definitions/, mcp-server/prompts/definitions/, the server's own services/, and config/server-config.ts.

Framework directories (typically safe to clean up in full — verify no server-specific files were added):

• src/core/ (app, context, worker)
• src/cli/
• src/types-global/
• src/storage/
• src/utils/
• src/testing/
• src/services/llm/, src/services/speech/, src/services/graph/ (framework-provided services — the server's own service directories are separate)

Framework files within directories that contain server code:

• src/config/index.ts (the framework config loader — server-config.ts is server-specific, keep it)
• src/mcp-server/server.ts
• src/mcp-server/transports/ (entire directory)
• src/mcp-server/roots/ (entire directory)
• src/mcp-server/tasks/ (core task infra — tool definitions using task: true are server code)
• src/mcp-server/tools/utils/, src/mcp-server/tools/tool-registration.ts
• src/mcp-server/resources/utils/, src/mcp-server/resources/resource-registration.ts
• src/mcp-server/prompts/utils/, src/mcp-server/prompts/prompt-registration.ts

Entry point rewrite

Replace the fork's src/index.ts with the scaffold-default direct-registration pattern:

#!/usr/bin/env node
import { createApp } from '@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core';
import { echoTool } from './mcp-server/tools/definitions/echo.tool.js';
import { echoResource } from './mcp-server/resources/definitions/echo.resource.js';
import { echoPrompt } from './mcp-server/prompts/definitions/echo.prompt.js';

await createApp({
  tools: [echoTool],
  resources: [echoResource],
  prompts: [echoPrompt],
});

Add setup() if the server initializes services:

await createApp({
  tools: [echoTool],
  resources: [echoResource],
  prompts: [echoPrompt],
  setup(core) {
    initMyService(core.config, core.storage);
  },
});

If the migrated project already has definitions/index.ts barrels and you want to keep them, that is fine. The important part is removing imports from framework internals and registering definitions consistently.

Checklist

• @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core installed as a dependency
• All framework @/ imports rewritten to @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/* subpaths
• No @/ imports point to framework files that are no longer local
• src/index.ts uses createApp() from the package
• tsconfig.json extends @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/tsconfig.base.json
• biome.json extends @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/biome
• vitest.config.ts spreads from @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/vitest.config
• Framework source files cleaned up from src/
• Server-specific @/ imports (own tools, services) still work
• bun run devcheck passes