AI Settings

The AI Settings dialog (Protect tab → Advanced group) is the bridge between your secure development environment and modern Artificial Intelligence. It has two tabs: MCP Server, which lets AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini drive VBA Padlock through the Model Context Protocol (MCP); and AI Chat, which configures the integrated chat assistant.

🤖 The MCP Server Tab

The MCP Server allows AI tools to “see” your project files and provide contextually aware code generation.

Server Management: Control when the AI bridge is active. You can start/stop the server manually or set it to launch automatically with VBA Padlock Studio.
Port Configuration: This setting defines the local communication channel for your AI agents.
Live Status: Monitor whether your AI assistant is currently connected and ready to assist.

What the AI can do

The MCP server exposes VBA Padlock’s core operations as tools. An AI assistant connected to it can:

Area	Tools
Project	`get_project_info`, `open_office_file`, `close_project`, `save_project`, `list_recent_projects`, `list_office_files`
Code	`get_vba_code`, `set_vba_code`, `create_module`, `delete_module`, `check_syntax`, `list_available_macros`
Settings	`get_project_settings`, `set_project_settings`
Build	`build_dll` (Win32, Win64, or both), `get_compilation_errors`
Output	`get_output_files`, `create_distribution_zip`, `copy_output_files`

That’s enough for an assistant to open a workbook, refactor a module, rebuild the DLLs, and package a distribution ZIP, all hands-free.

🔌 Provider Integration

VBA Padlock Studio provides pre-formatted configuration snippets for the major AI ecosystems. Copy these into your provider’s settings to activate the integration:

Optimized for the Claude Desktop application. Copy the JSON into your claude_desktop_config.json file.

💬 The AI Chat Tab

The AI Chat tab configures the chat assistant built into the Studio:

Provider & Model: Pick your AI provider and model; enter your API Key and hit Test Connection. A local Ollama URL is supported for offline models.
Generation options: Temperature and Max Tokens.
Include project context in prompts: Lets the assistant see your modules list and settings for more relevant answers.
Show “Apply” button on code suggestions: One-click insertion of suggested code into the active module.

🛠️ The Connection Workflow

Open the AI Settings dialog from the ribbon.
Start the MCP Server to open the communication channel.
Copy the configuration JSON specifically formatted for your chosen AI tool.
Paste the settings into your assistant’s configuration file.
Develop at lightning speed with an AI that understands your entire project context.