Build HubDB-Powered Applications in Claude Code with CData Code Assist MCP

Claude Code is an AI-powered command line tool that enables agentic coding workflows. With support for MCP, Claude Code can connect to local tools and enterprise data sources directly from your terminal, enabling natural language interaction with live systems without switching context.

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting LLM clients to external services through structured tool interfaces. MCP servers expose capabilities such as schema discovery and live querying, allowing AI agents to retrieve and reason over real-time data safely and consistently.

The following steps cover installing the CData Code Assist MCP for HubDB, configuring the connection to HubDB, connecting the Code Assist MCP add-on to Claude Code, and querying live HubDB data from within the terminal.

Step 1: Download and install the CData Code Assist MCP for HubDB

1. To begin, download the CData Code Assist MCP for HubDB
2. Find and double-click the installer to begin the installation
3. Run the installer and follow the prompts to complete the installation

When the installation is complete, you are ready to configure your Code Assist MCP add-on by connecting to HubDB.

Step 2: Configure the connection to HubDB

1. After installation, open the CData Code Assist MCP for HubDB configuration wizard

   NOTE: If the wizard does not open automatically, search for "CData Code Assist MCP for HubDB" in the Windows search bar and open the application.

   
2. In MCP Configuration > Configuration Name, either select an existing configuration or choose to create a new one
3. Name the configuration (e.g. "cdata_hubdb") and click OK

4. Enter the appropriate connection properties in the configuration wizard

   There are two authentication methods available for connecting to HubDB data source: OAuth Authentication with a public HubSpot application and authentication with a Private application token.

   Using a Custom OAuth App

   AuthScheme must be set to "OAuth" in all OAuth flows. Be sure to review the Help documentation for the required connection properties for you specific authentication needs (desktop applications, web applications, and headless machines).

   Follow the steps below to register an application and obtain the OAuth client credentials:

   1. Log into your HubSpot app developer account.
      • Note that it must be an app developer account. Standard HubSpot accounts cannot create public apps.
   2. On the developer account home page, click the Apps tab.
   3. Click Create app.
   4. On the App info tab, enter and optionally modify values that are displayed to users when they connect. These values include the public application name, application logo, and a description of the application.
   5. On the Auth tab, supply a callback URL in the "Redirect URLs" box.
      • If you're creating a desktop application, set this to a locally accessible URL like http://localhost:33333.
      • If you are creating a Web application, set this to a trusted URL where you want users to be redirected to when they authorize your application.
   6. Click Create App. HubSpot then generates the application, along with its associated credentials.
   7. On the Auth tab, note the Client ID and Client secret. You will use these later to configure the driver.

   8. Under Scopes, select any scopes you need for your application's intended functionality.

      A minimum of the following scopes is required to access tables:

      • hubdb
      • oauth
      • crm.objects.owners.read
   9. Click Save changes.
   10. Install the application into a production portal with access to the features that are required by the integration.
       • Under "Install URL (OAuth)", click Copy full URL to copy the installation URL for your application.
       • Navigate to the copied link in your browser. Select a standard account in which to install the application.
       • Click Connect app. You can close the resulting tab.

   Using a Private App

   To connect using a HubSpot private application token, set the AuthScheme property to "PrivateApp."

   You can generate a private application token by following the steps below:

   1. In your HubDB account, click the settings icon (the gear) in the main navigation bar.
   2. In the left sidebar menu, navigate to Integrations > Private Apps.
   3. Click Create private app.
   4. On the Basic Info tab, configure the details of your application (name, logo, and description).
   5. On the Scopes tab, select Read or Write for each scope you want your private application to be able to access.
   6. A minimum of hubdb and crm.objects.owners.read is required to access tables.
   7. After you are done configuring your application, click Create app in the top right.
   8. Review the info about your application's access token, click Continue creating, and then Show token.
   9. Click Copy to copy the private application token.

   To connect, set PrivateAppToken to the private application token you retrieved.

   
5. Click Connect to authenticate with HubDB through OAuth
6. Then, click Save Configuration to save the Code Assist MCP add-on

This process creates a .mcp configuration file that Claude Code will reference when launching the Code Assist MCP add-on. Now with your Code Assist MCP add-on configured, you are ready to connect it to Claude Code.

Step 3: Connect the Code Assist MCP add-on to Claude Code

1. Install the Claude Code CLI using the terminal
2. Open the Claude Code configuration file at ~/.config/claude-code/config.json (or the location shown after initialization)

Option 1: Manually add the MCP configuration

1. Open the mcp.json file in your preferred editor
2. Add the code shown below

{
"mcpServers" : {
  "cdata_hubdb" : {
    "type" : "stdio",
    "command" : "C:\Program Files\CData\CData Code Assist MCP for HubDB\jre\bin\java.exe",
    "args" : [ "-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8", "-jar", "C:\Program Files\CData\CData Code Assist MCP for HubDB/lib/cdata.mcp.hubdb.jar", "cdata_hubdb" ],  
    "env" : {}
  }
}
}

NOTE: The command value should point to your Java 17+ java.exe executable, and the JAR path should point to the installed CData Code Assist MCP add-on .jar file. The final argument must match the MCP configuration name you saved in the CData configuration wizard (e.g. "cdata_hubdb").

Option 2: Copy the MCP configuration from the CData Code Assist MCP for HubDB UI

1. After saving and testing your connection in the configuration wizard, click Next

2. Select Claude Code from the AI MCP Tool dropdown

3. Click Copy JSON to copy the generated MCP configuration to your clipboard

4. Paste the copied JSON into the mcp.json file

Step 4: Verify connection in Claude Code

Claude Code provides tools to verify the connection is active before building.

1. Open a terminal and navigate to your project directory. Run the command claude mcp list
2. Check that your configuration name appears with a Connected status

3. Start Claude Code by running claude
4. Inside the Claude Code session, type /mcp to view active servers

Step 5: Query live HubDB data in Claude Code

With the connection verified, you can now use natural language prompts to query and work with live HubDB data.

1. Prompt Claude Code to review the instructions for your MCP connection to ensure it has all the appropriate context when writing code
2. Start building with natural language prompts! For example:

   For my project, data from the NorthwindProducts is very important. Pull data from the most important columns like PartitionKey and Name.

Claude Code will use the MCP add-on to connect to HubDB, retrieve the requested data, and provide results directly in your terminal

Build with Code Assist MCP. Deploy with CData Drivers.

Download Code Assist MCP for free and give your AI tools schema-aware access to live HubDB data during development. When you're ready to move to production, CData HubDB Drivers deliver the same SQL-based access with enterprise-grade performance, security, and reliability.

Visit the CData Community to share insights, ask questions, and explore what's possible with MCP-powered AI workflows.