SKiDL IntelliSense VS Code Extension [Update v0.4.8]: MCP Server, Browse Components, BOM, Validate Design

[ashergarland]

Big update to the extension. Here's what's new:

MCP Server (AI Agent Interface)

The extension now includes a full MCP server with 13 tools that let AI agents (Copilot, Claude, etc.) browse your KiCad libraries and validate SKiDL code against your actual installed parts. This means an AI can generate SKiDL code, validate it, and fix errors all without ever running the script.

Setup is one command: SKiDL: Enable MCP Integration from the Command Palette. It auto-detects your Python path and KiCad install.

MCP Tools:

Tool	Description
list_libraries	List all KiCad symbol library names
list_symbols	List symbols in a library with descriptions
get_symbol_info	Full symbol detail including all pins
search_symbols	Fuzzy-search symbols across all libraries
list_footprint_libraries	List all footprint library names
list_footprints	List footprints in a library
get_footprint_info	Full footprint detail (description, pad count)
search_footprints	Fuzzy-search footprints across all libraries
validate_skidl_code	Validate SKiDL source against installed KiCad libraries
generate_bom	Generate a Bill of Materials from SKiDL source
get_completions	Autocomplete suggestions for a source position
get_documentation_at	Documentation/hover info for a source position
rebuild_index	Force rebuild the KiCad library index

New VS Code Command Palette Commands

The extension now has interactive commands you can run from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

Command	What it does
SKiDL: Browse Components	Live fuzzy search across all 21,000+ KiCad symbols. Select one to see its pins and description, then insert a Part() call or copy the name.
SKiDL: Browse Footprints	Live fuzzy search across all 15,000+ KiCad footprints. Select one to copy Library:Footprint to clipboard.
SKiDL: Generate BOM	Parses Part() calls in your file, resolves descriptions from the index, groups identical parts, and opens a formatted BOM table.
SKiDL: Validate Design	Runs full validation on your file and shows all issues with suggestions — like a pre-flight check before generating a netlist.

Under the Hood

• Complete project restructure into core/, lsp_server/, mcp_server/, vscode_extension/. The core validation engine is now shared between the LSP and MCP servers with no duplication.
• Full changelog: https://github.com/ashergarland/skidl-vscode/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md

Install / Update

• VS Code Marketplace: SKiDL IntelliSense
• GitHub Release: https://github.com/ashergarland/skidl-vscode/releases/tag/v0.4.8

Feedback and bug reports welcome as always.