MCP Deep Dive
Model Context Protocol — the USB-C of the agent ecosystem. Everything you need.
▸ 9 TERMSMCP
Model Context Protocol. Anthropic's standard for AI agents to talk to external tools (databases, APIs, files). "USB-C for AI."
MCP Server
A process speaking the MCP protocol that exposes external resources (DB, API, files) as tools. Connects via stdio or HTTP.
MCP Client
A consumer that connects to one or more MCP servers. Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf are all MCP clients.
MCP Prompt
A pre-baked prompt template offered by an MCP server. Surfaces as a slash command; the third pillar with tools and resources.
MCP Resource
Content an MCP server exposes for reading (file, page, record). Optional context for the model.
Tool Use
When the model decides to invoke a function instead of generating text. Same as "function calling." The core of agentic behavior.
Context Engineering
Designing what, how much, and in what order to show a model. The grown-up version of prompt engineering — the real lever in agentic systems.
Context Window
The maximum number of tokens an LLM can "see" at once. When the window fills up, the model starts forgetting or the conversation gets compacted.
Agent Skill
A modular capability bundle handed to an agent. Markdown instructions + tools + examples. Claude Code Skills productizes this.