Using MCP Firebird with VSCode and GitHub Copilot

This guide explains how to integrate MCP Firebird with Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot.

Prerequisites

1. Visual Studio Code installed
2. GitHub Copilot extension installed and configured
3. MCP Firebird installed (npm install -g mcp-firebird)
4. Firebird database server running

Configuration

1. Create a .vscode folder in your project root if it doesn't exist already
2. Create a file named mcp.json inside the .vscode folder with the following content:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-firebird": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-firebird",
        "--database",
        "C:\\path\\to\\database.fdb",
        "--host",
        "localhost",
        "--port",
        "3050",
        "--user",
        "SYSDBA",
        "--password",
        "masterkey"
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Replace the placeholders with your actual Firebird database connection details:
   • your_host: The hostname or IP address of your Firebird server
   • /path/to/your/database.fdb: The path to your Firebird database file
   • your_username: Your Firebird database username (typically "SYSDBA")
   • your_password: Your Firebird database password

Using with GitHub Copilot

Once configured, you can use GitHub Copilot to interact with your Firebird database. For example:

1. Open a new chat with GitHub Copilot
2. Ask questions about your database, such as:
   • "List all tables in my Firebird database"
   • "Show me the structure of the EMPLOYEES table"
   • "Execute a query to find all employees in the Sales department"

Troubleshooting

If you encounter errors like Failed to validate tool: Error: tool parameters array type must have items, make sure you're using the latest version of MCP Firebird.

To update to the latest version:

npm install -g mcp-firebird@latest

Common Issues

1. Connection errors: Verify your database connection parameters in the mcp.json file.
2. Tool validation errors: Make sure you're using the latest version of MCP Firebird.
3. Permission issues: Ensure your user has the necessary permissions to access the database.

Example Queries

Here are some example queries you can try with GitHub Copilot:

List all tables in my database

Describe the structure of the CUSTOMERS table

Execute this query: SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEES WHERE DEPARTMENT_ID = 10

Analyze the performance of this query: SELECT * FROM ORDERS WHERE ORDER_DATE > '2023-01-01'