Unit 9 · Connect to external tools and data

Connect to an MCP server

You initialize one negotiated MCP session over the transport that fits your deployment. Streamable HTTP is the normal current choice for a remote server.

AxMCPClient8 focused minutesNot started

Unit example (nearest native match)

See the idea in context

let context = AxExecutionContext::new(vec![mcp.clone()], vec![])?;
    let catalog = mcp.lock().unwrap().inspect_catalog(false)?;
let mut program = ax("request:string -> answer:string")?.with_execution_context(context)?;
mcp.lock().unwrap().close()?;

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

Run itIn your own project

cargo add axllm

use axllm::{ai, ax};
use serde_json::json;

let llm = ai("openai", json!({"apiKey": std::env::var("OPENAI_API_KEY")?}))?;
let classify = 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 -- rust src/examples/rust/mcp/native_mcp_tools.rs

Active practice

Show that you can use it

Answer 2 in a row to learn this · attempt 1

Keep exploring

See the idea in context

Show that you can use it

Source-backed follow-up