PHP Developers Can Build MCP Servers Without an Official SDK

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A technical guide published on DEV Community explains how PHP developers can implement a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server despite the absence of an official PHP SDK. MCP is an open wire protocol based on JSON-RPC 2.0 that standardises how AI assistants connect to external data sources, tools, and APIs. The protocol defines three core primitives — tools, resources, and prompts — each serving a distinct role in how a model interacts with external systems. Developers can choose between two transport methods: stdio for local subprocess communication, or Streamable HTTP for remotely hosted servers. The guide highlights PHP-specific pitfalls, such as avoiding stray output to stdout and ensuring output buffers are flushed promptly to prevent broken message streams.

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