Demo source: microsoft/github-copilot-java-mcp-demo
Four self-contained episodes that take this sample from a folder of files to a Spring Boot application GitHub Copilot can call and test. Each episode stands on its own, so start with whichever one you need.
Reading the tables: steps are numbered
episode.step, so3.2is Episode 3, step 2.Whereis the surface to work in,Dois the action to take, andPasteholds the exact text for that step — copy it rather than typing it. A—means the step needs no typed input.
Using the UI: every action here has a visible button, menu, or link, so no keyboard shortcuts are needed. Use the keyboard only to enter text into fields and prompts.
Prerequisites: Clone the finished sample from the GitHub repository and open it in VS Code with Java 25 installed. Leave the Extension Pack for Java and the Spring Boot Extension Pack uninstalled, because this episode installs them.
Expected warnings: The Maven build prints a Mockito self-attach notice and dynamic-agent warnings, and startup prints three BeanPostProcessorChecker warnings about the MCP annotation scanner. All are expected — wait for BUILD SUCCESS and the started message instead of reacting to them.
| # | Where | Do | Paste |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | VS Code — Activity Bar → Extensions | Select the Extensions button in the Activity Bar. Search "Extension Pack for Java", open its result, and select Install. Wait for the Opening Java Projects notification to appear and finish. Then check for the Java: Ready item in the Status Bar and the new Java Projects and Maven views in the Explorer. | Extension Pack for Java |
| 1.2 | VS Code menu → Command Palette | Select View → Command Palette, search for "Java: Configure Java Runtime", and select that command from the results. On the Project Settings page, stay on Classpath → JDK Runtime and find JDK: JavaSE-25 and the install path below it. Download a new JDK... on that tab fetches a JDK if you need one; leave it unselected here. Close the tab without selecting Apply Settings. | Java: Configure Java Runtime |
| 1.3 | VS Code — Extensions view | Return to the Extensions view. Search "Spring Boot Extension Pack", open its result, and select Install. When the install finishes, a new Spring Boot Dashboard icon appears in the Activity Bar. | Spring Boot Extension Pack |
| 1.4 | pom.xml |
Open the root pom.xml. Find the spring-boot-starter-parent, the springboot-mcp-demo artifact, and the java.version property 25. Then read the four starter dependencies in file order: actuator, webmvc, thymeleaf, and Spring AI's MCP server starter. |
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| 1.5 | Explorer | In the Explorer, expand src → main. Expand the compacted java\com\example\tododemo row to reveal its folders, then expand resources → templates. |
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| 1.6 | SpringbootMcpDemoApplication.java |
Open the class and read @SpringBootApplication and the main method. |
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| 1.7 | Todo.java → TodoRepository.java → TodoService.java |
Open Todo.java and read its four fields. Open TodoRepository.java and find @Repository, the concurrent map, and save assigning the id. Open TodoService.java and find @Service, the constructor, and the add method. |
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| 1.8 | templates/index.html → TodoController.java |
In the template, find the Thymeleaf loop over the list, then the add form's action="/todos" and its title input. Then open the controller and find @GetMapping("/"), the @PostMapping("/todos") method, service.add(title), and return "redirect:/". |
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| 1.9 | VS Code — Explorer → Maven | In the Explorer, open the Maven view. Expand springboot-mcp-demo → Lifecycle, hover over package, select its Run button, and wait for BUILD SUCCESS in the Maven-springboot-mcp-demo terminal that opens. |
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| 1.10 | VS Code — Activity Bar → Spring Boot Dashboard | Select the Spring Boot Dashboard icon in the Activity Bar. Find springboot-mcp-demo, select its Run action, and wait for the app to show as running. | — |
| 1.11 | Spring Boot Dashboard → browser | Check the app's running state and port in the Dashboard, then select its Open In Browser action to open http://localhost:8080. | — |
| 1.12 | Browser | Enter Prepare the demo, select Add, select that row's checkbox, then select its Delete button. | Prepare the demo |
| 1.13 | Spring Boot Dashboard | Return to the Dashboard and select the app's Stop action. | — |
The running Todo web app:
Prerequisites: Clone the finished sample from the GitHub repository and open it in VS Code with Java 25, the Extension Pack for Java, and the Spring Boot Extension Pack installed. Start from a stopped app with port 8080 free, no breakpoints set, and the Dashboard's Endpoint Mappings section on Show Defined Endpoints.
Shutdown note: On Debugger for Java 0.59.0, neither the Dashboard's Stop action nor the debug toolbar's stop ends a Debug-launched process — an open regression, vscode-java-debug#1585. Shut the app down from its terminal, as step 2.10 does. If a process is left behind, free port 8080 before starting again: it also holds the JMX port the Dashboard uses for Properties and Memory, and the next launch then fails with a Port already in use agent error naming that JMX port rather than 8080.
| # | Where | Do | Paste |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Editor — TodoController.java |
Find the addForm method, then click the gutter to set a breakpoint on its service.add(title) line. |
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| 2.2 | VS Code — Activity Bar → Spring Boot Dashboard | Select the Spring Boot Dashboard icon in the Activity Bar. Select the app's Debug action and wait for the debugger to connect. | — |
| 2.3 | Spring Boot Dashboard → TodoController.java |
Confirm the app's running debug state. In the Spring Boot Dashboard, find the Endpoint Mappings and Memory sections listed below Apps. Then return to the controller, where Spring Boot Tools renders gray URL hints above its mappings. | — |
| 2.4 | Editor → browser | Click the root URL hint, enter Trace this request in the form, and select Add. Wait for VS Code to stop at the breakpoint. | Trace this request |
| 2.5 | Debug toolbar + Variables panel | Expand Local, which is collapsed when execution pauses, and read title and its value. Select Step Into in the Debug toolbar to enter TodoService.add. Select Step Over once to execute the Todo todo = ... line, then expand the new todo entry, where id is null. |
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| 2.6 | Debug toolbar + Variables panel | Select Step Out in the Debug toolbar to return to addForm. In Local, expand the new →add() entry. Its id reads Long@ and a number until you select the Click to expand control beside it, which resolves the value — 1 on a fresh start. That value appears alongside the same title. |
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| 2.7 | Debug toolbar → browser | Select Continue in the Debug toolbar, wait for the request to finish, and confirm Trace this request appears in the browser. Leave the debug session running. | — |
| 2.8 | Spring Boot Dashboard → Endpoint Mappings → browser | Expand Endpoint Mappings, select Show All Endpoints in that section's toolbar, then find /actuator/health — not the /actuator/health/** entry beside it — and select its Open action. In the browser, the status field reads UP; the response may also include a groups field. |
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| 2.9 | Spring Boot Dashboard → Memory | Open Memory and watch the live heap information update. | — |
| 2.10 | Terminal panel → Spring Boot Dashboard | In the Terminal panel, select the app's terminal, then select its Kill Terminal trash icon. Confirm the Dashboard no longer shows the app running, and that port 8080 is free. | — |
Actuator health response from the running sample:
Spring Boot Dashboard Memory view:
Prerequisites: Clone the finished sample from the GitHub repository and open it in VS Code with Java 25, the Extension Pack for Java, the Spring Boot Extension Pack, and GitHub Copilot installed and signed in. Allow MCP tool use when VS Code prompts for trust or confirmation. Start from a stopped app with port 8080 free.
Expected warnings: Startup prints three BeanPostProcessorChecker warnings about the MCP annotation scanner just above the Registered tools: 5 line in step 3.4. They are expected.
| # | Where | Do | Paste |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | pom.xml |
Open the root pom.xml and find the spring-ai-starter-mcp-server-webmvc dependency. |
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| 3.2 | mcp/TodoTools.java |
Open TodoTools.java. Read the class's @Component, the five @McpTool methods, an @McpToolParam, and each method's delegation to TodoService. |
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| 3.3 | application.properties |
Open application.properties and find spring.ai.mcp.server.protocol=STREAMABLE. |
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| 3.4 | VS Code — Activity Bar → Spring Boot Dashboard | Select the Spring Boot Dashboard icon in the Activity Bar. Find springboot-mcp-demo, select Run, and wait for startup. In the Terminal panel, find Registered tools: 5 in the app's log. Leave the app running. |
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| 3.5 | .vscode/mcp.json |
Open .vscode/mcp.json and check the todo-mcp server's type and url. Select its Start code-lens and wait until that code-lens reads Running with 5 tools. |
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| 3.6 | Copilot Chat — Agent mode | Open Copilot Chat and select Agent mode. Select Configure Tools... in the chat input, find todo-mcp, enable its five tools, and close the picker. |
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| 3.7 | Copilot Chat — Agent mode | Enter "Use the todo-mcp tools to add a todo called 'Email the stakeholders', then list all todos." and select Send. If prompted, review the tool name and arguments before choosing Allow Once. Wait for the final response. | Use the todo-mcp tools to add a todo called 'Email the stakeholders', then list all todos. |
| 3.8 | Copilot Chat → browser | In Chat, find Email the stakeholders in the structured list_todos result. Then open http://localhost:8080 in a browser, where the same title appears in the Todo list. |
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| 3.9 | .vscode/mcp.json → Spring Boot Dashboard |
Select Stop for todo-mcp in .vscode/mcp.json. Then select Stop for springboot-mcp-demo in the Dashboard. Confirm it is no longer running, and that port 8080 is free. |
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Proof it works — the todo created through MCP appears in the web page:
Copilot Chat calling the todo-mcp tools — the add_todo call and its structured result:
Prerequisites: Clone the finished sample from the GitHub repository and open it in a current version of VS Code with Java 25, the Extension Pack for Java, the Spring Boot Extension Pack, and GitHub Copilot installed and signed in. Allow MCP server installation and tool use when prompted. Start from a stopped app with port 8080 free, and with the Playwright MCP server not yet installed, so the Install action in step 4.1 is available.
If the gallery result is missing: when @mcp playwright returns nothing in the Extensions view, add the server to .vscode/mcp.json and start it from there instead of step 4.1.
Browser warning: Playwright opens a real Chrome window that shows an unsupported command-line flag: --no-sandbox infobar. Dismiss it with its ×; it does not affect the run.
| # | Where | Do | Paste |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | VS Code — Activity Bar → Extensions | Select the Extensions button in the Activity Bar. Search @mcp playwright and open the Playwright MCP server result. Review its publisher and command configuration. Select Install, confirm trust for the server, and wait for its running status. |
@mcp playwright |
| 4.2 | templates/index.html |
Find data-testid="new-todo-input", data-testid="add-todo", data-testid="todo-item", and data-testid="delete-todo" in the template, then the checkbox's th:attr="aria-label='Toggle ' + ${todo.title}". |
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| 4.3 | VS Code — Activity Bar → Testing | Select the Testing button in the Activity Bar, select Run All Tests, and wait until all Java tests pass. | — |
| 4.4 | VS Code — Activity Bar → Spring Boot Dashboard | Select the Spring Boot Dashboard icon in the Activity Bar. Find springboot-mcp-demo, select Run, and wait until the Dashboard shows it running on port 8080. | — |
| 4.5 | Copilot Chat — Agent mode | Open Copilot Chat and select Agent mode. Select Configure Tools... in the chat input, confirm the Playwright tools are listed and enabled, and close the picker. | — |
| 4.6 | Copilot Chat — Agent mode | Enter "Use the Playwright tools to open http://localhost:8080 and verify the page title is 'Java TODO Demo'. Add a todo called 'Verify the browser flow', find that todo's row, complete it and verify it is checked, then delete it and verify it is gone." and select Send. If prompted, review the tool name and arguments before choosing Allow Once. | Use the Playwright tools to open http://localhost:8080 and verify the page title is 'Java TODO Demo'. Add a todo called 'Verify the browser flow', find that todo's row, complete it and verify it is checked, then delete it and verify it is gone. |
| 4.7 | Browser window (Playwright) | As Copilot works, watch the page at http://localhost:8080: the input filled with Verify the browser flow, the new row after Add, the row's checked checkbox after completion, and the row disappearing after deletion. | — |
| 4.8 | Copilot Chat | Return to Chat. Review the completed Playwright tool calls and final response, confirming the page title, added text, checked state, deletion, and absence check. | — |
| 4.9 | Playwright browser → Spring Boot Dashboard | Close the Playwright browser window. Return to the Dashboard, select Stop for springboot-mcp-demo, and confirm it is no longer running. Leave the Playwright MCP server installed in the VS Code user profile. | — |
The browser during a Playwright run:
- Demo source: https://github.com/microsoft/github-copilot-java-mcp-demo
- Extension Pack for Java (Microsoft): https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=vscjava.vscode-java-pack
- Spring Boot Extension Pack: search “Spring Boot Extension Pack” in the VS Code Marketplace
- Java in VS Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/languages/java
- Spring Boot Actuator: https://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/
- Spring AI (Model Context Protocol server): https://docs.spring.io/spring-ai/reference/
- Model Context Protocol: https://modelcontextprotocol.io
- Model Context Protocol in Visual Studio Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers
- Playwright Model Context Protocol server: https://github.com/microsoft/playwright-mcp