Chapter 3 · Build
Development Environment for Windows & VS Code
Set up a comfortable, repeatable workspace. Install the tools once, add a few VS Code extensions, and you'll be ready to run and edit the server.
🎯 What you'll be able to do
- Install every required tool on Windows
- Add the VS Code extensions that make Python and Azure work pleasant
- Open the project and run the local helper script
- Understand what the helper script automates
Required software
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 or 10 | Target workstation environment |
| VS Code | Editor and integrated terminal |
| Python 3.11 or later | Runtime for the MCP server |
| Git | Source control |
| Azure CLI | Azure login, image build, deployment |
| Node.js LTS | Needed for MCP Inspector via npx |
| PowerShell 7 or Windows PowerShell | Shell used by the scripts |
| Docker Desktop | Optional locally — the deploy script uses ACR build, so local Docker isn't required |
Do I need Docker?
Not to get started. Deployment builds the container image in
Azure Container Registry, so you can ship without Docker on your laptop. Install it only if you want to build images locally.Recommended VS Code extensions
| Extension | Why |
|---|---|
| Python | Python language support |
| Pylance | Type checking and IntelliSense |
| Ruff | Fast Python linting |
| Azure Resources | Azure navigation from VS Code |
| Bicep | Azure infrastructure authoring |
| GitHub Actions | Workflow file support |
| Docker | Container file support |
Open the project
PowerShell
cd "C:\Users\uacholonu\OneDrive - Microsoft\Documents\DevZone\CoworkDev\Plugin Projects\My MCP Builds\Microsoft Scout Opus 4.8\jira-mcp-copilot-studio"
code .Warning
Always quote Windows paths that contain spaces. The path above has several, so the surrounding quotes are required.
Create a virtual environment by hand
The project ships scripts\\run_local.ps1, but it's worth doing this once yourself so you understand what it automates.
PowerShell
python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install -e ".[dev]"If activation is blocked
Run
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned, then open a new PowerShell terminal and retry. This allows locally created, signed scripts to run for your user only.The local helper script
PowerShell
.\scripts\run_local.ps1It:
- creates
.venvif missing - installs dependencies
- copies
.env.exampleto.envif missing - starts the server on
http://localhost:8080
🧪 Hands-on lab: Prove your environment works
~10 minutesGoal: Confirm every tool is installed and the server starts.
- Run each of these and note the version:
python --version,git --version,node --version,az version. - Open the project folder in VS Code.
- Run
.\\scripts\\run_local.ps1and watch for the startup line. - In a second terminal, run
Invoke-RestMethod http://localhost:8080/healthz.
Success: you see status: ok. If not, head to Troubleshooting.
▶ Watch to reinforce this conceptOptional supplement
Recommended video needed
No specific video is linked here on purpose — we don't invent URLs. Search an official source (Microsoft, Azure, Atlassian, GitHub, VS Code, Python, or Model Context Protocol) using:
Python virtual environment VS Code Windows tutorial (Microsoft OR "Visual Studio Code" official)
- Reinforces
- Python virtual environments in VS Code on Windows
- Level
- beginner
Why it helps: A visual walkthrough of selecting the interpreter and activating a venv in VS Code prevents the most common beginner setup mistakes.
📌 Chapter summary
- Core tools: VS Code, Python 3.11+, Git, Azure CLI, Node.js LTS, PowerShell 7.
- Docker Desktop is optional — deployment uses ACR build.
run_local.ps1creates the venv, installs deps, seeds.env, and starts the server.