Notes on building software.
A personal blog of technical articles about software development.
Using Environment Variables in MCP Config
Pass secrets to MCP servers with --env or with ${VAR} expansion in .mcp.json so keys never get committed to git.
Referencing MCP Resources with @ Mentions
Beyond tools, MCP servers publish resources you can pull into a prompt with an @ mention so Claude reads them first.
Managing MCP Servers: list, get, remove
Use claude mcp list, get, and remove plus the in-session /mcp menu to review, inspect, and clean up your servers.
Troubleshooting MCP Connections
When an MCP server won't connect, work through status, config, transport, auth, and environment variables in order.
Understanding the settings.json Hierarchy
Learn how Claude Code layers its settings files and which one wins when two of them set the same key.
Project vs Local vs User Settings
Three settings files, three jobs: pick the right one for team rules, personal tweaks, and global defaults.