MCP vscode 연동Connecting VS Code with MCP

VS Code 1.99

VS Code 1.99 was finally released on April 4, 2025. VS Code now has an Agent mode, and it can connect to MCP (Model Context Protocol). So let’s jump right in: enable Agent mode in VS Code and connect PostgreSQL through MCP!

> Source: reddit.com - March 2025 (version 1.99)

Installing VS Code

Download the VS Code installer for your OS from the Download vscode page and install it. Make sure the installed version is 1.99 or later!

> You can check your current version under the VS Code menu: Help - About.

VS Code Agent Mode

The old Chat view and Copilot Edits view have been merged into one. Copilot used to support two modes, and this update adds an Agent mode.

• Ask: general questions
• Edit: can edit multiple files
• Agent: uses tools and carries out tasks autonomously

Enabling Agent Mode

When you install VS Code, Agent mode is disabled by default, so the first step is to enable it. Press ctrl + , or click File - Preference - Settings in the menu. Then type agent in the search box and check Chat > Agent: Enabled to turn on Agent mode.

> Agent mode is disabled by default, so be sure to enable it!

Now you’ll see that Agent mode has been added at the bottom of the Copilot panel. Select Agent as the mode, and let’s take a proper look at what the agent can do!

> Select Agent mode in Copilot!

Context Tools (#)

In the chat box, you can add all sorts of context with #. For example, you can easily hand Copilot an up-to-date document from the web.

> You can add whatever context you want with #!

The VS Code 1.99 update strengthened the ability to add various kinds of context to the chat using the # symbol. The main context tools mentioned in the release notes are as follows.

1. #fetch

• Fetches the content of a publicly accessible web page and includes it in the prompt
• Makes it easy to hand the AI the latest official docs

2. #usages

• A tool that combines “Find All References”, “Find Implementation” and “Go to Definition”
• Finds references to and implementations of functions, classes and interfaces
• Handy for finding every place that needs to change during a refactor

3. #codebase

• Adds the entire codebase as context so the AI understands the code as a whole
• Especially useful in Edit mode, when files are found and edited automatically

4. #searchResults

• Adds search results as context
• You can ask the AI to summarize or explain the search results
• Can generate code based on the search results

The release notes also mention that, in general, you can use # to “manually attach all kinds of context”. Through the Add Context button, too, you can add many kinds of context (screenshots, code snippets, error messages, logs, etc.) to your conversation with the AI.

> You can also add context with the Add Context button.

VS Code MCP

VS Code finally supports MCP officially. Adding an MCP server is simple.

• Click the Select Tools button
• Or use the Command Palette: press ctrl + shift + p and search for > MCP: Add Server
• Or write a .vscode/mcp.json file

> Add an MCP server with the Select Tools button

You’ll see a variety of MCP server types. Just pick the type that fits the MCP server you’re installing. Here, we’ll configure the MCP server through an mcp.json file.

> Pick the type that fits the MCP server you're installing

Connecting PostgreSQL

Running a Test PostgreSQL

Let’s spin up a PostgreSQL instance for testing. Start the container with the command below, and check with docker ps that it’s running properly!

$ docker run --name postgres-test \
  -e POSTGRES_USER=testuser \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=testpassword \
  -e POSTGRES_DB=testdb \
  -p 5432:5432 \
  -d \
  postgres

$ docker ps

mcp.so

mcp.so is a site that collects MCP servers. There are lots of them, so find the ones you need and give them a try! Here we’ll connect PostgreSQL via MCP.

> Find the MCP server you want on mcp.so!

Search for PostgreSQL and select it, and the Content tab shows several ways to run that MCP server.

> Find the MCP server you want on mcp.so!

Here we’ll run the MCP server with Docker. Using the instructions for running the MCP server with Docker, let’s set it up in VS Code.

Writing mcp.json

Create an mcp.json file in the .vscode folder and paste in the content below. Adjust the Docker options as needed, and enter your own server address, username and password.

{
  "servers": {
      "postgres": {
          "command": "docker",
          "args": [
            "run",
            "-i",
            "--rm",
            "--network=host",
            "mcp/postgres",
            "postgresql://localhost:5432/testdb?user=testuser&password=testpassword"
          ]
      }
  }
}

Checking That the MCP Server Is Running

When you start the MCP server in VS Code, a number appears on the Select Tools button. Thanks to the MCP server we added, the Copilot AI can now use a tool called #query! You can add or remove other MCP servers and tools as needed.

> You can see the MCP server running in VS Code!

Asking Questions

The added tool can be used as a # context command in VS Code Copilot. Let’s use #query to ask whether the AI can access the database.

> PostgreSQL connected through MCP!

Wrapping Up

In this post, we looked at the new Agent mode and MCP integration in VS Code 1.99. We also connected PostgreSQL through MCP to set up an environment where the AI can access the database directly.

It looks like many more MCP servers will be developed and released as plugins. I hope you’ll explore different MCP servers and put them to use in your own development environment. But always be careful about security!

Thank you! 😊

References

• Visual Studio Code - VS Code Agent Mode Just Changed Everything
• vscode - March 2025 (version 1.99)
• mcp.so - Find Awesome MCP Servers and Clients
• apidog - How to Use MCP Servers in VSCode (Korean)