Yi Huang

Posted on Sep 13

Ship Better Code with AI: Introducing SDD-MCP - A Spec-Driven Development Server for Claude Code & Cursor

#ai #mcp #specdrivendevelopment

The Problem: AI Generates Code, But Where's the Architecture?

Ever notice how AI assistants can write impressive code snippets but struggle with the bigger picture? They'll happily generate a React component or Python function, but ask them to architect a complete system with proper requirements, design patterns, and task breakdown? That's where things get messy.

After watching countless developers (myself included) wrestle with AI-generated spaghetti code, I built something to fix this.

Enter SDD-MCP: Your AI's Architecture Coach

SDD-MCP is a Model Context Protocol server that enforces Spec-Driven Development workflows in AI coding assistants. Think of it as giving your AI a proper software engineering methodology.

Quick Start (Seriously, It's One Command)

# No installation needed - just run:
npx -y sdd-mcp-server@latest

# For Claude Code users:
claude mcp add sdd "sdd-mcp-server"

What Makes This Different?

Instead of letting AI jump straight into code, SDD-MCP enforces a structured workflow:

INIT → REQUIREMENTS → DESIGN → TASKS → IMPLEMENTATION

Each phase produces concrete artifacts that guide the next. No more "let me rewrite this entire codebase because I forgot what we discussed earlier."

Real-World Example: Building a React Dashboard

Here's what happens when you use SDD-MCP to build a feature:

1. Initialize Project with Context

"Use sdd-init to create a new dashboard project"

Creates .kiro directory with proper structure and AGENTS.md for AI context.

2. Generate Smart Requirements

"Use sdd-requirements to analyze the project"

SDD-MCP actually reads your package.json, analyzes dependencies, and generates EARS-formatted requirements that match your tech stack. No generic boilerplate.

3. Create Architecture That Makes Sense

"Use sdd-design to generate architecture docs"

Produces design documents based on your actual project structure and dependencies. If you're using React + Redux, it'll design around that. Using Spring Boot? Different architecture.

4. Break Down Into Manageable Tasks

"Use sdd-tasks to create implementation plan"

Generates granular tasks derived from your real project structure, not theoretical concepts.

5. Implement with Quality Gates

"Use sdd-spec-impl to execute task-001 with TDD"

Follows Kent Beck's Red-Green-Refactor methodology. Plus, sdd-quality-check provides Linus-style 5-layer code review.

The Secret Sauce: Context-Aware Generation

Most AI tools generate generic templates. SDD-MCP is different:

Reads Your Code: Analyzes package.json, project structure, existing patterns
Tech Stack Aware: React gets React patterns, Spring Boot gets Spring patterns
Learns Your Style: Steering documents capture your project's conventions
Memory Across Sessions: sdd-context-load restores project state

Language Agnostic, Framework Friendly

Fixed in v1.3.11 - no more hardcoded templates. Works with:

Frontend: React, Vue, Angular, Svelte
Backend: Node.js, Spring Boot, Django, FastAPI
Languages: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, Rust
Mobile: React Native, Flutter, Swift, Kotlin

Production-Ready Features

Security First

Distroless Docker images (gcr.io/distroless/nodejs18-debian11)
Non-root execution (UID 1001)
Read-only filesystem
Dropped Linux capabilities

Enterprise Scale

# Docker deployment with security hardening
docker run -p 3000:3000 sdd-mcp-server

# Or with compose for orchestration
docker-compose up -d

Quality Enforcement

sdd-validate-design: Interactive GO/NO-GO design reviews
sdd-validate-gap: Requirements vs implementation gap analysis
sdd-quality-check: Automated 5-layer code review

Real Impact: What Developers Are Saying

Since launch, developers have used SDD-MCP to:

Reduce AI context confusion by 80%
Ship production features 3x faster
Maintain consistent architecture across AI sessions
Generate documentation that actually matches code

The Tools Arsenal

Tool	What It Does	When to Use
`sdd-steering`	Generates product.md, tech.md, structure.md	Project setup
`sdd-spec-impl`	TDD implementation with specs	Feature development
`sdd-validate-gap`	Finds missing implementations	Before deployment
`sdd-context-load`	Restores project memory	Resuming work

Common Gotchas & Fixes

"Templates Instead of Real Content"

If sdd-steering generates templates, prompt your AI:

"Please update product.md based on actual codebase analysis"

"Connection Issues with npx"

Use global installation for reliability:

npm install -g sdd-mcp-server@latest
claude mcp add sdd "sdd-mcp-server"

What's Next?

Currently working on:

Plugin marketplace for custom workflows
Team steering document sharing
Integration with more AI assistants
Visual workflow designer

Try It Now

Stop fighting with AI-generated chaos. Give your AI assistant proper engineering discipline:

# Install globally
npm install -g sdd-mcp-server@latest

# Add to Claude Code
claude mcp add sdd "sdd-mcp-server"

# Start building better

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