Unit 9 · Connect to external tools and data

Connect to an MCP server

You connect one MCP client over the transport that fits your deployment. Streamable HTTP is the normal remote choice and supports both stateful and stateless servers.

AxMCPClient8 focused minutesNot started

Unit example (nearest native match)

See the idea in context

AxMCPClient mcp = new AxMCPClient(new AxMCPStreamableHTTPTransport(endpoint), Map.of("namespace", "inventory"));
AxGen program = new AxGen(Ax.s("request:string -> answer:string"), Map.of("mcp", mcp));
OpenAICompatibleClient llm = new OpenAICompatibleClient(Map.of(
    "api_key", key, "model", "gpt-5.4-mini"));
try {
  AxMCPClient.CatalogSnapshot catalog = mcp.inspectCatalog();
  System.out.println(Json.stringify(Map.of(
      "tools", catalog.tools().stream().map(tool -> tool.get("name")).toList(),
      "resources", catalog.resources(),
      "resourceTemplates", catalog.resourceTemplates())));
  System.out.println(Json.stringify(program.forward(
      llm, Map.of("request", "Reindex inventory."))));
} finally {
  mcp.close();
}

Create the transport
Streamable HTTP connects the client to the remote URL.
Create one client
AxMCPClient owns era classification and the protocol lifecycle.
Use a namespace
orders keeps discovered names clear when several servers are attached.

Run itIn your own project

// Gradle (build.gradle):
implementation 'dev.axllm:ax:22.0.4'
// Maven (pom.xml):
<dependency>
  <groupId>dev.axllm</groupId>
  <artifactId>ax</artifactId>
  <version>22.0.4</version>
</dependency>

import dev.axllm.ax.Ax;

var llm = Ax.ai("openai", Map.of("apiKey", System.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")));
var classify = Ax.ax("review:string -> sentiment:class \"positive, negative, neutral\"");

Set OPENAI_APIKEY in your environment before running provider-backed code.

In the ax repo

From a clone of the ax repo:

npm run example -- java src/examples/java/mcp/NativeMCPToolsExample.java

Active practice

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Answer 2 in a row to learn this · attempt 1

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See the idea in context

Show that you can use it

Source-backed follow-up