Connecting an AI assistant¶

The editor can provide its operations to an AI assistant over the Model Context Protocol. The assistant then works on your project through the same commands the editor and the command line use, rather than by reading and rewriting files as text.

This setup differs from using an agent inside the editor. The assistant runs in a terminal or desktop application, and the editor provides the tools.

Turn on the server¶

The integration server is off by default.

1. Open the settings Select File > Settings.
2. Enable the server Select Server, and then enable the server.
3. Confirm it is listening
   bash

   dogsbay-xml status

The server binds to localhost and requires a token, which is written to a discovery file in your home directory so local clients can find it.

Connect a client¶

The editor prints the configuration for you:

dogsbay-xml status --mcp-config

For Claude Code, it can print the command that registers it:

dogsbay-xml status --mcp-install

Paste the configuration into the client's MCP settings, or run the command.

What the assistant can do¶

The tools support the same operations as the command line:

• Read and validate documents, including Schematron and project-wide validation
• Inspect the project to find where a file is used, what a key resolves to, which references are broken, and the project's overall health
• Map the project in one call: every map, topic, key, and DITAVAL file, how they connect, and what each deliverable ships
• Write reports as standalone HTML pages, such as a relationship map or a health report
• Refactor by renaming files, keys, and IDs; converting between direct references and keys; extracting and inlining reuse; and splitting topics
• Edit the structure of maps and relationship tables
• Control the editor by opening documents, moving the cursor, selecting elements, and reading the outline
• Review proposals, add comments, and read the audit log

When a client connects, the server tells the assistant where to start: the project health check for any validation or audit question, the project graph for structure, and the report tool for a page. An assistant that follows it finds the checks the editor already has instead of writing its own.

Every call is attributed to a session, so the audit log records which assistant did what.

If the token changes¶

Regenerating the token invalidates any client configured with the old one:

dogsbay-xml status --reset-token

Restart the editor, and give clients the new configuration.

Related¶