Claude Plugin Integration

Overview

Stata-MCP provides official native plugin support for Claude Code, integrating two powerful components in stata-toolbox@stata-plugin-lib now:

Stata-MCP Server: Model Context Protocol server for Stata execution
Stata LSP (Language Server Protocol): Advanced language support for Stata do-files

This plugin package, named stata-toolbox, delivers a unified development environment for empirical research, combining the analytical power of Stata with AI assistance and advanced IDE features.

What is Claude Plugin?

Claude Plugin is a plugin system introduced in Claude Code that allows developers to package and distribute:

MCP Servers: Model Context Protocol servers that expose tools to Claude
LSP Servers: Language Server Protocol servers for enhanced editor support
Skills: Skills for expand Claude agent abilities
Configuration: Pre-configured settings for optimal integration

The plugin system enables one-command installation of complex development environments, replacing manual configuration with reproducible, version-controlled packages.

Plugin Structure

More plugin config schema could be found in plugins-reference from Claude.

.claude-plugin/
├── marketplace.json          # Plugin registry manifest
└── plugins/
    └── stata-toolbox/       # Plugin package
        └── plugin.json        # Plugin configuration

Marketplace Manifest (`marketplace.json`)

{
  "name": "stata-plugin-lib",
  "owner": {
    "name": "Song Tan",
    "email": "sepinetam@gmail.com"
  },
  "plugins": [
    {
      "name": "stata-toolbox",
      "source": "./plugins/stata-toolbox",
      "description": "The official working package of Stata-MCP plugin, including mcp config and stata lsp."
    }
  ]
}

Fields: - name (string): Marketplace library identifier (kebab-case, no spaces) - owner (object): Author information - name (string): Author name - email (string): Contact email - plugins (array): List of plugin packages - name (string): Plugin identifier - source (string): Relative path to plugin directory - description (string): Plugin functionality summary

Plugin Configuration (`plugin.json`)

{
  "name": "stata-toolbox",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "description": "The official working package of Stata-MCP plugin, including mcp config and stata lsp.",
  "author": {
    "name": "Song Tan",
    "email": "sepinetam@gmail.com",
    "url": "https://www.sepinetam.com"
  },
  "homepage": "https://statamcp.com",
  "repository": "https://github.com/sepinetam/stata-mcp",
  "license": "AGPL-3.0",
  "keywords": ["stata", "econometrics", "empirical analysis"],
  "mcpServers": {
    ...
  },
  "lspServers": {
    ...
  }
}

Configuration Sections:

MCP Servers Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx", 
      "args": [
        "stata-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

command: The command to execute the MCP server. Using uvx allows running installed Python packages directly without activating a virtual environment.

args: Array of command-line arguments passed to the command. ["stata-mcp"] specifies the package name to run.

LSP Servers Configuration

"lspServers": {
  "stata": {
    "command": "stata-language-server",
    "args": [],
    "extensionToLanguage": {
      ".do": "stata"
    },
    "settings": {
      "stata": {
        "setMaxLineLength": 120,
        "setIndentSpace": 4,
        "enableCompletion": true,
        "enableDocstring": true,
        "enableStyleChecking": true,
        "enableFormatting": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Notes: You should install stata-language-server first via pipx install "git+https://github.com/euglevi/stata-language-server.git".

command: The LSP server binary executable. Must be available in the system PATH.

args: Array of command-line arguments passed to the LSP server. Empty array means no additional arguments.

extensionToLanguage: Maps file extensions to language identifiers. .do files are mapped to the stata language for proper LSP support.

settings: LSP-specific configuration object. The stata key contains Stata language server settings for code completion, formatting, and style checking.

Installation

Prerequisites

Before installing the plugin, ensure following requirements are met:

Claude Code: Install via official installer ```bash # macOS/Linux curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex ```

Stata: Valid Stata 17+ license with Stata MP installed
Python Package: stata-mcp package available bash # Verify installation uvx stata-mcp --usable
Stata LSP: Language server installed bash pipx install "git+https://github.com/euglevi/stata-language-server.git"
uv: Package runner (recommended) ```bash # Install via homebrew brew install uv

# Or via official installer curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh ```

Installation Method

Add the marketplace registry and install the plugin:

# Add marketplace
claude plugin marketplace add sepinetam/stata-mcp

# Install plugin to user scope (default)
claude plugin install stata-toolbox

# Install to project scope (shared with team)
claude plugin install stata-toolbox --scope project

# Install to local scope (gitignored)
claude plugin install stata-toolbox --scope local

The plugin automatically uses the current directory as the working directory for Stata operations.

Verification

After installation, verify the plugin is loaded:

# List installed plugins
claude plugin list

How It Works

Once installed, the plugin provides seamless integration:

1. Automatic Loading Claude Code automatically detects: - .claude-plugin/marketplace.json → Plugin registry - plugins/stata-toolbox/plugin.json → Plugin configuration

2. MCP Tools The Stata-MCP server exposes tools that Claude can invoke: - stata_do: Execute Stata code - write_dofile: Create do-files - get_data_info: Analyze datasets - help: Get Stata command documentation - And more...

3. LSP Features The Stata LSP provides advanced editor support: - Syntax Highlighting: Enhanced .do file coloring - Completion: Auto-suggest Stata commands - Hover Documentation: Mouse over commands for help - Error Detection: Real-time syntax validation - Formatting: Auto-format .do files

Example Workflows

This part is generated by AI, please review before use. If you want to achieve the best results, you should edit your ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md with your own preferences.

Paper Replication

> Load the dataset from "source/data/CPS_2018.dta"
> Replicate Table 3 from Mincer (1974) using OLS regression
> Export the regression table to LaTeX format

Claude:
1. Uses get_data_info to understand dataset structure
2. Creates do-file with write_dofile
3. Executes with stata_do
4. Exports table to stata-mcp-result/

Quick Hypothesis Testing

> Test whether education returns have increased post-2008 financial crisis
> Use difference-in-differences with college enrollment as treatment

Claude:
1. Generates DiD specification
2. Runs stata_do with event study design
3. Presents results with economic interpretation

Comparison: Plugin vs Manual Configuration

Manual Configuration

Traditional approach with command:

claude mcp add stata-mcp -- uvx stata-mcp

or requires manual .mcp.json editing:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "stata-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["stata-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "STATA_MCP_CWD": "/absolute/path/to/project"
      }
    }
  }
}

Plugin-Based Configuration

With Plugin:

# Single command installation
claude plugin marketplace add sepinetam/stata-mcp
claude plugin install stata-toolbox

Comparison

Feature	Manual Configuration	Plugin Installation
Setup	Edit `.mcp.json` manually or command	One-command installation
MCP Server	✅	✅
LSP Server	❌ Separate installation	✅ Included
Team Sharing	✅	✅
Updates	Auto update the latest MCP	Auto update MCP and manual update others

Architecture

Plugin Loading Process

1. Claude Code Startup
   ↓
2. Scan for .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
   ↓
3. Parse plugin registry
   ↓
4. Load each plugin's plugin.json
   ↓
5. Register MCP servers
   ↓
6. Initialize LSP servers
   ↓
7. Apply plugin configurations
   ↓
8. Plugin ready for use

Component Interaction

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Claude Code                       │
└──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘
                       │
         ┌─────────────┴────────────┐
         │                          │
    ┌────▼─────┐                ┌────▼─────┐
    │   MCP    │                │   LSP    │
    │  Server  │                │  Server  │
    └────┬─────┘                └────┬─────┘
         │                           │
    ┌────▼───────────────────────────▼────┐
    │         Stata-MCP Package           │
    │  - stata_do tool                    │
    │  - Data analysis tools              │
    │  - Help system                      │
    └─────────────────────────────────────┘
         │
    ┌────▼──────────┐
    │     Stata     │
    │  Executable   │
    └───────────────┘

Troubleshooting

Plugin Not Detected

Symptom: Plugin installed but Claude Code doesn't show tools

Solutions: 1. Restart Claude Code completely 2. Verify JSON syntax in marketplace.json and plugin.json 3. Check file permissions (must be readable) 4. Ensure plugin is installed correctly 5. Run claude plugin list to verify

MCP Server Connection Failed

Symptom: Tools show error "Failed to connect to MCP server"

Diagnosis:

# Test MCP server independently
uvx stata-mcp --usable

# Check if Stata is accessible
stata-se --version

# Verify uvx installation
uvx --version

Solutions: 1. Install missing dependencies: bash pip install stata-mcp

Verify Stata installation path
Check environment variables are correctly set

LSP Not Working

Symptom: No syntax highlighting or completion in .do files