Build REST-Powered Applications in Gemini Code Assist with CData Code Assist MCP

Gemini Code Assist is an AI-powered coding companion that integrates intelligent code generation into everyday development workflows. With support for MCP, Gemini Code Assist can connect to live enterprise data sources directly from Visual Studio Code, enabling natural language interaction with structured data without switching context or manually writing data access code.

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.

This guide walks through installing the CData Code Assist MCP for REST, configuring the connection to REST, connecting the Code Assist MCP add-on to Gemini Code Assist, and querying live REST data from within the editor.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the following requirements are met:

1. Visual Studio Code is installed on the machine
2. Gemini Code Assist extension is enabled in Visual Studio Code
3. CData Code Assist MCP for REST has been installed
4. Access to REST

Note: Gemini Code Assist must already be set up and functional in Visual Studio Code before configuring MCP servers. MCP servers are accessed when Gemini Code Assist is running in Agent mode.

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

1. To begin, download the CData Code Assist MCP for REST
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, the Code Assist MCP add-on is ready for configuration by connecting to REST.

Step 2: Configure the connection to REST

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

   NOTE: If the wizard does not open automatically, search for "CData Code Assist MCP for REST" 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_rest") and click OK

4. Enter the appropriate connection properties in the configuration wizard

   See the Getting Started chapter in the data provider documentation to authenticate to your data source: The data provider models REST APIs as bidirectional database tables and XML/JSON files as read-only views (local files, files stored on popular cloud services, and FTP servers). The major authentication schemes are supported, including HTTP Basic, Digest, NTLM, OAuth, and FTP. See the Getting Started chapter in the data provider documentation for authentication guides.

   After setting the URI and providing any authentication values, set Format to "XML" or "JSON" and set DataModel to more closely match the data representation to the structure of your data.

   The DataModel property is the controlling property over how your data is represented into tables and toggles the following basic configurations.

   • Document (default): Model a top-level, document view of your REST data. The data provider returns nested elements as aggregates of data.
   • FlattenedDocuments: Implicitly join nested documents and their parents into a single table.
   • Relational: Return individual, related tables from hierarchical data. The tables contain a primary key and a foreign key that links to the parent document.

   See the Modeling REST Data chapter for more information on configuring the relational representation. You will also find the sample data used in the following examples. The data includes entries for people, the cars they own, and various maintenance services performed on those cars.

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

This process creates a .mcp configuration file that Gemini Code Assist will reference when launching the Code Assist MCP add-on. With the Code Assist MCP add-on configured, it is ready to connect to Gemini Code Assist.

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

1. Ensure Visual Studio Code is installed and the Gemini Code Assist extension is enabled
2. From the configuration wizard, click Next after saving and testing the connection
3. Select Gemini Code Assist from the AI MCP Tool dropdown
4. Click Copy JSON to copy the generated MCP configuration to the clipboard
5. Paste the copied JSON into the appropriate configuration file based on the desired scope:
   • User-level: Configuration applies across all projects for the current user
   • Workspace-level: Configuration applies only to the current workspace or project

   NOTE: The configuration includes the path to Java 17+ executable and the CData Code Assist MCP add-on JAR file. The final argument must match the MCP configuration name saved in the wizard (e.g. "cdata_rest").

6. Save the configuration file and restart Visual Studio Code if necessary

Step 4: Query live REST data in Gemini Code Assist

1. Open Visual Studio Code and select Gemini Code Assist in the activity bar
2. Enter /mcp in the chat prompt to verify the connection status. The REST Code Assist MCP add-on should appear with a green connection indicator
3. Ask questions about REST data using natural language. For example:

   "Provide the list of all tables available in my REST data connection."

   
4. Generate code that works with live REST data. For example:

   "Write a function to retrieve records from the people table where [ personal.name.first ] matches a given value."

   

Gemini Code Assist is now fully integrated with the CData Code Assist MCP add-on and can use the MCP tools exposed to explore schemas, execute live queries against REST, and generate data-aware code.

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 REST data during development. When you're ready to move to production, CData REST 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.