Stata MCP Extension for VS Code and Cursor

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This extension provides Stata integration for Visual Studio Code and Cursor IDE using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). The extension allows you to:

Run Stata commands directly from VS Code or Cursor
Execute selections or entire .do files
View Stata output in the editor in real-time
Get AI assistant integration through the MCP protocol
Experience enhanced AI coding with Cursor or Cline
Choose your Stata edition (MP, SE, or BE)

Features

Run Stata Commands: Execute selections or entire .do files directly from your editor
Syntax Highlighting: Full syntax support for Stata .do, .ado, .mata, and .doh files
AI Assistant Integration: Contextual help and code suggestions via MCP
Cross-platform: Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux
Automatic Stata Detection: Automatically finds your Stata installation
Real-time Output: See Stata results instantly in your editor

Demo

Watch how this extension enhances your Stata workflow with Cursor (or VS Code) and AI assistance:

Stata MCP Extension Demo

🎬 Full Video Version | 📄 View Generated PDF Report

_{Demo prompt: "Write and execute Stata do-files, ensuring that full absolute file paths are used in all cases. Load the auto dataset (webuse auto) and generate summary statistics for each variable. Identify and extract key features from the dataset, produce relevant plots, and save them in a folder named plots. Conduct a regression analysis to examine the main determinants of car prices. Export all outputs to a LaTeX file and compile it. Address any compilation errors automatically, and ensure that LaTeX compilation does not exceed 10 seconds. All code errors should be identified and resolved as part of the workflow."}

Looking for other Stata integrations?

Use Stata with Notepad++ and Sublime Text 3? See here

Use Stata MCP in Claude Desktop without installing this extension? See here

Use Stata via Jupyter? See here

Requirements

Stata 17 or higher installed on your machine
UV package manager (automatically installed or can be installed manually if needed)

Installation

Note: Initial installation requires setting up dependencies which may take up to 2 minutes to complete. Please be patient during this one-time setup process. All subsequent runs will start instantly.

VS Code Installation

Option 1: From VS Code Marketplace

Install this extension directly from the VS Code Marketplace.

code --install-extension DeepEcon.stata-mcp

Or:

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for "Stata MCP"
Click "Install"

Option 2: From .vsix file

Download the extension package stata-mcp-0.2.5.vsix from the releases page.
Install using one of these methods:

code --install-extension path/to/stata-mcp-0.2.5.vsix

Or:

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Click on "..." menu in the top-right
Select "Install from VSIX..."
Navigate to and select the downloaded .vsix file

Cursor Installation

Download the extension package stata-mcp-0.2.5.vsix from the releases page.
Install using one of these methods:

cursor --install-extension path/to/stata-mcp-0.2.5.vsix

Or:

Open Cursor
Go to Extensions view
Click on the "..." menu
Select "Install from VSIX"
Navigate to and select the downloaded .vsix file

Starting with version 0.1.8, the extension integrates a fast Python package installer called uv to set up the environment. If uv is not found on your system, the extension will attempt to install it automatically.

Extension Settings

You can customize the extension behavior through VS Code settings:

stata-vscode.stataPath: Path to Stata installation directory
stata-vscode.mcpServerHost: Host for MCP server (default: localhost)
stata-vscode.mcpServerPort: Port for the MCP server (default: 4000)
stata-vscode.autoStartServer: Automatically start MCP server when extension activates (default: true)
stata-vscode.debugMode: Show detailed debug information in output panel (default: false)
stata-vscode.forcePort: Force the MCP server to use the specified port even if it's already in use (default: false)
stata-vscode.clineConfigPath: Custom path to Cline configuration file (optional, defaults to standard locations)
stata-vscode.runFileTimeout: Timeout in seconds for 'Run File' operations (default: 600 seconds / 10 minutes)
stata-vscode.stataEdition: Stata edition to use (MP, SE, BE) - default: MP
stata-vscode.logFileLocation: Location for Stata log files - 'extension' (logs folder in extension directory), 'workspace' (same directory as .do file), or 'custom' (user-specified directory) - default: extension
stata-vscode.customLogDirectory: Custom directory for Stata log files (only used when logFileLocation is set to 'custom')

Usage

Open a Stata .do file
Run commands using:
- Run Selection: Select Stata code and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter (or Cmd+Shift+Enter on Mac)
- Run File: Press Ctrl+Shift+D (or Cmd+Shift+D on Mac) to run the entire .do file
View output in the editor panel
Choose Stata Edition: Select your preferred Stata edition (MP, SE, or BE) in the extension settings

Log File Management

The extension automatically creates log files when running Stata .do files. You can control where these log files are saved:

Extension Directory (default): Log files are saved in a logs folder within the extension directory, keeping your workspace clean
Workspace Directory: Log files are saved in the same directory as your .do file (original behavior)
Custom Directory: Log files are saved to a directory you specify

To change this setting:

Open VS Code/Cursor settings
Search for "Stata MCP"
Find "Log File Location" and select your preferred option
If using "Custom Directory", also set the "Custom Log Directory" path

How It Works

The extension creates a local MCP server that connects your editor to Stata, enabling:

Command Execution: Run Stata commands and see results instantly
Context Awareness: AI assistants understand your Stata data and commands
Enhanced Productivity: Get intelligent code suggestions and documentation

Cursor MCP Configuration

The extension automatically configures Cursor MCP integration. To verify it's working:

Open Cursor
Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) to open the Command Palette
Type "Stata: Test MCP Server Connection" and press Enter
You should see a success message if the server is properly connected

Cursor Configuration File Paths

The location of Cursor MCP configuration files varies by operating system:

macOS:
- Primary location: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
- Alternative location: ~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/mcp.json
Windows:
- Primary location: %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json
- Alternative location: %APPDATA%\Cursor\User\mcp.json
Linux:
- Primary location: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
- Alternative location: ~/.config/Cursor/User/mcp.json

Manual Cursor Configuration

If you need to manually configure Cursor MCP:

Create or edit the MCP configuration file:
- macOS/Linux: ~/.cursor/mcp.json
- Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json

Add the Stata MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "url": "http://localhost:4000/mcp",
      "transport": "sse"
    }
  }
}

If the file already contains other MCP servers, just add the "stata-mcp" entry to the existing "mcpServers" object.
Save the file and restart Cursor.

Troubleshooting Cursor Configuration

If Cursor is not recognizing the Stata MCP server:

Verify the MCP server is running
Check that the configuration file exists with the correct content
Try restarting Cursor
Ensure there are no port conflicts with other running applications

Cline MCP Configuration

Open your Cline MCP settings file:
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
- Windows: %APPDATA%/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json
- Linux: ~/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/saoudrizwan.claude-dev/settings/cline_mcp_settings.json

Add the Stata MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "url": "http://localhost:4000/mcp",
      "transport": "sse"
    }
  }
}

If the file already contains other MCP servers, just add the "stata-mcp" entry to the existing "mcpServers" object.
Save the file and restart VS Code.

You can also configure Cline through VS Code settings:

"cline.mcpSettings": {
  "stata-mcp": {
    "url": "http://localhost:4000/mcp",
    "transport": "sse"
  }
}

Troubleshooting Cline Configuration

If Cline is not recognizing the Stata MCP server:

Verify the MCP server is running (Status bar should show "Stata")
Check that the configuration file exists with the correct content
Try restarting VS Code
Check the extension output panel (View > Output > Stata MCP) for any errors

Claude Desktop MCP Configuration

You can use this extension with Claude Desktop through mcp-proxy:

Make sure the Stata MCP extension is installed in VS Code or Cursor and currently running before attempting to configure Claude Desktop

Install mcp-proxy:

# Using pip
pip install mcp-proxy

# Or using uv (faster)
uv install mcp-proxy

Find the path to mcp-proxy:

# On Mac/Linux
which mcp-proxy

# On Windows (PowerShell)
(Get-Command mcp-proxy).Path

Configure Claude Desktop by editing the MCP config file:

On Windows (typically at %APPDATA%\Claude Desktop\claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "mcp-proxy",
      "args": ["http://127.0.0.1:4000/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

On macOS (typically at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude Desktop/claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/mcp-proxy",
      "args": ["http://127.0.0.1:4000/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/mcp-proxy with the actual path you found in step 3.

Restart Claude Desktop
Claude Desktop will automatically discover the available Stata tools, allowing you to run Stata commands and analyze data directly from your conversations.

Note: There is an alternative way to use Stata MCP in Claude Desktop without installing this extension. See here.

Python Environment Management

This extension uses uv, a fast Python package installer built in Rust, to manage Python dependencies. Key features:

Automatic Python setup and dependency management
Creates isolated environments that won't conflict with your system
Works across Windows, macOS, and Linux
10-100x faster than traditional pip installations

If you encounter any UV-related errors during installation:

Install UV manually:

# Windows (PowerShell as Administrator)
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

# macOS/Linux
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Follow the Troubleshooting steps to reinstall the extension

Starting with version 0.1.8, this extension integrates the fast Python package installer uv to set up the environment. If uv is not found on your system, the extension will attempt to install it automatically.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with the extension, follow these steps to perform a clean reinstallation:

Windows

Close all VS Code/Cursor windows
Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc):
- Go to the "Processes" tab
- Look for any running Python or uvicorn processes
- Select each one and click "End Task"
Remove the extension folder:
- Press Win+R, type %USERPROFILE%\.vscode\extensions and press Enter
- Delete the folder deepecon.stata-mcp-0.x.x (where x.x is the version number)
- For Cursor: The path is %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\extensions

Install UV manually (if needed):

# Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

Restart your computer (recommended but optional)
Install the latest version of the extension from the marketplace

macOS/Linux

Close all VS Code/Cursor windows

Kill any running Python processes:

# Find Python processes
ps aux | grep python
# Kill them (replace <PID> with the process numbers you found)
kill -9 <PID>

Remove the extension folder:

# For VS Code:
rm -rf ~/.vscode/extensions/deepecon.stata-mcp-0.x.x
# For Cursor:
rm -rf ~/.cursor/extensions/deepecon.stata-mcp-0.x.x