IDE Database MCP

English (default) — this repository contains a JetBrains IDE plugin that exposes the IDE's Database data sources through a local MCP-compatible service. Development note: 95%+ of this project's code was generated with GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Codex, then reviewed and integrated manually.

If you prefer 中文（Chinese），see the linked translation: README_zh.md

Source and purpose

This plugin was developed to make IDE-managed Database data sources accessible to external tools through a lightweight HTTP/JSON-RPC MCP-compatible bridge. It is intended for tooling that expects an MCP-style service to discover and call database capabilities available inside the IDE.

The project is implemented against the IntelliJ Platform (since build 223+) and is intended for JetBrains IDEs where the bundled com.intellij.database plugin is available and enabled.

Key features

• Exposes Database capabilities as MCP tools:
  • db.listDataSources — list configured data sources
  • db.listDatabases — list catalogs/schemas in one data source
  • db.executeQuery — execute read-only SQL
  • db.executeDml — execute DML statements
  • db.executeDdl — execute DDL statements
• Settings UI: Settings | Tools | Database MCP
• Auto-start option for the local MCP service
• Data source scope control: GLOBAL / PROJECT / ALL
• Multi-window-safe startup using app-level state and locking

Requirements

• JetBrains IDE based on IntelliJ Platform 223+
• com.intellij.database plugin installed and enabled in the target IDE
• Java 17
• Gradle 9.4.1 (wrapper included)

Plugin installation

Choose one installation path.

Option A: Install from JetBrains Marketplace (recommended)

1. Open the target IDE.
2. Go to Settings/Preferences | Plugins | Marketplace.
3. Search for IDE Database MCP.
4. Click Install, then restart the IDE.

Option B: Install from a local ZIP package

1. Build the plugin ZIP (or use an existing ZIP from build/distributions/).
2. In the target IDE, open Settings/Preferences | Plugins.
3. Click the gear icon, choose Install Plugin from Disk....
4. Select the plugin ZIP and restart the IDE.

Example build command:

./gradlew buildPlugin

Plugin usage

1) Verify prerequisites

1. Ensure com.intellij.database is enabled in the IDE.
2. Ensure at least one database data source exists in the IDE Database tool window.

2) Configure plugin settings

1. Open Settings/Preferences | Tools | Database MCP.
2. Configure:
   • Service port (default shown in UI)
   • Data source scope (GLOBAL, PROJECT, or ALL)
   • Auto-start behavior
3. Apply settings.

3) Start and verify the service

1. Open the Database MCP tool window.
2. Start the MCP service (or restart if needed).
3. Check health endpoint:

curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8765/health

4) Call MCP endpoints

Use JSON-RPC over http://127.0.0.1:<port>/mcp.

# initialize
curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize"}'

# list tools
curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"method":"tools/list"}'

# list data sources
curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":3,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"db.listDataSources","arguments":{}}}'

5) Run a SQL example

Replace YOUR_DS_NAME with a real data source name from db.listDataSources.

curl -s http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":4,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"db.executeQuery","arguments":{"dataSource":"YOUR_DS_NAME","sql":"SELECT 1","maxRows":100}}}'

Note: SQL execution uses JDBC connections defined inside the IDE. Credentials are not exported to external storage by this plugin.

MCP endpoints and protocol

• Base URL: http://127.0.0.1:<port>/mcp
• Health endpoint: http://127.0.0.1:<port>/health
• Protocol: JSON-RPC 2.0
• Common methods: initialize, tools/list, tools/call

Build and run (development)

Clone the repository and use the included Gradle wrapper:

git clone <this-repo-url>
cd ide-database-mcp
chmod +x ./gradlew
./gradlew test
./gradlew runIde

If your environment does not yet have a wrapper, you can generate one once:

gradle wrapper --gradle-version 9.4.1
chmod +x ./gradlew

Troubleshooting

• If IntelliJ artifacts fail to resolve during ./gradlew test or runIde, verify network/TLS access to JetBrains repositories.
• If the plugin reports Database API unavailable, check that com.intellij.database is installed and enabled.
• If no data source is returned, verify data sources are configured in the IDE and the selected scope is correct.

Other notes

• In ALL scope mode, duplicate names are resolved by preferring global (IDE-level) entries before project-level entries.
• The plugin performs runtime checks for Database plugin/API availability and reports user-friendly errors when missing.

License and attribution

This project was inspired by work from others in the community. Special thanks to:

• jone — early feedback and ideas
• The project ide-agent-for-copilot by catatafishen: https://github.com/catatafishen/ide-agent-for-copilot

Please see the repository LICENSE (if present) for licensing details.

中文版本 / Chinese translation: README_zh.md