Build client-side reference implementation for model-driven resource loading

[olaservo]

Background

Peter Alexander (MCP Core Maintainer) suggested at the Feb 26 office hours that rather than having each server ship its own load_skill tool, clients should support model-driven resource loading directly — e.g., a built-in read_resource tool on the client side and a SDK-level list_skill_uris() method.

He argued it's a small lift for clients and would avoid duplicate approaches. This needs a proof of concept.

Scope

Build a minimal client (or client plugin/extension) that:

1. Connects to one or more MCP servers
2. Calls resources/list and identifies skill resources (by URI pattern, MIME type, or naming convention)
3. Presents discovered skills to the user (list with name/description)
4. On selection, calls resources/read to fetch the full skill content
5. Injects the skill content into the model context
6. Optionally subscribes to resources/subscribe for skill updates

Technology choice is open — could be a Python script using the MCP SDK, a VS Code extension, or a wrapper around an existing client.

Acceptance Criteria

• Working client that can discover and load skills from at least 1 MCP server
• Demonstrates both the discovery flow (resources/list -> filter -> present) and the loading flow (resources/read -> inject)
• Documents which URI patterns or conventions are used to identify skills
• README with setup instructions and demo walkthrough
• Findings added to docs/experimental-findings.md

References

• Peter Alexander's comment on SEP-2076
• Feb 26 office hours notes
• Open Question 12 — "Why not just resources?"
• Related to Add examples to common shared skills folder for testing implementation(s) #27 (shared skills folder for testing)

[LucaButBoring]

@pja-ant were you planning to try this one? I believe you mentioned wanting to do so if you had the time.

[pja-ant]

Yeah, mentioned in Discord, but did prototype this. Works great!

[olaservo]

I think we might want to split this up into:

• initial exploration (done, with Claude Code/closed source implementation)
• reference implementation example (open source in this repo, for client implementor reference)
• pointers to experimental implementations outside of this repo, based on proposals and references from this repo

?

[olaservo]

Splitting this into focused issues per @olaservo's suggestion:

• Prototype skill resource loading in a major open-source client #66 — Build open-source reference client for model-driven resource loading (carries the scope/acceptance criteria)
• Track external client-side skill loading implementations #67 — Track external client-side skill loading implementations

Closing this as the initial exploration is done (pja-ant's prototype). The remaining work is tracked in the issues above.