managing-apps/assets/documentation/MCP-Quick-Start.md

# MCP Quick Start Guide

## Prerequisites

- .NET 8 SDK
- Node.js 18+
- At least one LLM API key (Gemini, OpenAI, or Claude)

## Setup Steps

### 1. Configure LLM API Keys

Add your API key to `appsettings.Development.json` or user secrets:

```json
{
  "Llm": {
    "Claude": {
      "ApiKey": "YOUR_CLAUDE_API_KEY_HERE"
    }
  }
}
```

Or use .NET user secrets (recommended):

```bash
cd src/Managing.Api
dotnet user-secrets set "Llm:Claude:ApiKey" "YOUR_API_KEY"
```

Or use environment variables:

```bash
export Llm__Claude__ApiKey="YOUR_API_KEY"
dotnet run --project src/Managing.Api
```

### 2. Build the Backend

```bash
cd src
dotnet build Managing.sln
```

### 3. Run the Backend

```bash
cd src/Managing.Api
dotnet run
```

The API will be available at `https://localhost:7001` (or configured port).

### 4. Generate API Client (if needed)

If the LLM endpoints aren't in the generated client yet:

```bash
# Make sure the API is running
cd src/Managing.Nswag
dotnet build
```

This will regenerate `ManagingApi.ts` with the new LLM endpoints.

### 5. Run the Frontend

```bash
cd src/Managing.WebApp
npm install  # if first time
npm run dev
```

The app will be available at `http://localhost:5173` (or configured port).

### 6. Test the AI Chat

1. Login to the application
2. Look for the floating chat button in the bottom-right corner
3. Click it to open the AI chat
4. Try these example queries:
   - "Show me my backtests"
   - "Find my best performing strategies"
   - "What are my BTC backtests?"
   - "Show backtests with a score above 80"

## Getting LLM API Keys

### Anthropic Claude (Recommended - Best for MCP)
1. Go to [Anthropic Console](https://console.anthropic.com/)
2. Sign in or create an account
3. Navigate to API Keys and create a new key
4. Copy and add to configuration
5. Note: Requires payment setup

### Google Gemini (Free Tier Available)
1. Go to [Google AI Studio](https://makersuite.google.com/app/apikey)
2. Click "Get API Key"
3. Create a new API key
4. Copy and add to configuration

### OpenAI
1. Go to [OpenAI Platform](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys)
2. Create a new API key
3. Copy and add to configuration
4. Note: Requires payment setup

### Anthropic Claude
1. Go to [Anthropic Console](https://console.anthropic.com/)
2. Create an account and API key
3. Copy and add to configuration
4. Note: Requires payment setup

## Architecture Overview

```
User Browser
    ↓
AI Chat Component (React)
    ↓
LlmController (/api/Llm/Chat)
    ↓
LlmService (Auto-selects provider)
    ↓
Gemini/OpenAI/Claude Provider
    ↓
MCP Service (executes tools)
    ↓
BacktestTools (queries data)
```

## Troubleshooting

### No providers available
- Check that at least one API key is configured
- Verify the API key is valid
- Check application logs for provider initialization

### Tool calls not working
- Verify `IBacktester` service is registered
- Check user has backtests in the database
- Review logs for tool execution errors

### Frontend errors
- Ensure API is running
- Check browser console for errors
- Verify `ManagingApi.ts` includes LLM endpoints

### Build errors
- Run `dotnet restore` in src/
- Ensure all NuGet packages are restored
- Check for version conflicts in project files

## Example Queries

### Simple Queries
```
"Show me my backtests"
"What's my best strategy?"
"List all my BTC backtests"
```

### Filtered Queries
```
"Find backtests with a score above 85"
"Show me backtests from the last 30 days"
"List backtests with low drawdown (under 10%)"
```

### Complex Queries
```
"What are my best performing ETH strategies with a winrate above 70%?"
"Find backtests using RSI indicator sorted by Sharpe ratio"
"Show me my top 5 backtests by growth percentage"
```

## Next Steps

- Add more MCP tools for additional functionality
- Customize the chat UI to match your brand
- Implement chat history persistence
- Add streaming support for better UX
- Create custom tools for your specific use cases

## Support

For issues or questions:
1. Check the logs in `Managing.Api` console
2. Review browser console for frontend errors
3. Verify API keys are correctly configured
4. Ensure all services are running

## Additional Resources

- [MCP Architecture Documentation](./MCP-Architecture.md)
- [Implementation Summary](./MCP-Implementation-Summary.md)
- [Model Context Protocol Spec](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)