zio-ella

What is zio-ella?

zio-ella is a framework for writing MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for modern AI platforms using Scala 3 and ZIO with zio-http. It is designed for developers who want to expose ZIO-based services as MCP tools.

How to use zio-ella?

Define server capabilities by mapping Tool instances to ZIO effects, then run the server with MCPServer(capabilities).run. The server port can be configured via a ZIO config layer using Config.int("port"). The entry point is a standard ZIOAppDefault that provides the configured server layer.

Key features of zio-ella

• Write MCP servers in Scala 3 with ZIO and zio-http
• Define tools using Tool and ArgDef with ZIO effects
• Run via MCPServer and standard ZIOAppDefault pattern
• Port configuration through ZIO config layers
• Lightweight, early-phase framework open to rapid change

Use cases of zio-ella

• Exposing existing ZIO services as MCP tools for AI agents
• Building custom MCP servers with Scala's functional programming stack
• Prototyping MCP-based integrations for modern AI platforms
• Creating simple, composable server capabilities (e.g., time, weather lookups)

FAQ from zio-ella

What language and runtime does zio-ella require?

zio-ella requires Scala 3 and ZIO with zio-http.

Is zio-ella production-ready?

No. The project is in its early phase and is bound to rapid change. Users are encouraged to share ideas and use-cases.

How do I configure the server port?

The port is read from the environment or configuration using Config.int("port") and is applied via a ZLayer in the main program.

What types of tools can I define?

Any tool that maps a Tool name and optional ArgDef to a ZIO effect. The README shows examples like get-time (no argument) and get-weather (accepting a city string).

Where can I learn more about MCP?

The README links to the MCP Protocol Tutorial, Anthropic's MCP documentation, and the MCP Inspector tool.