We are excited to announce the general availability of SAP Mobile Development Kit (MDK) Editor 2.0 for Visual Studio Code and compatible editors. This is a milestone release that brings the full MDK graphical editing experience — previously exclusive to SAP Business Application Studio (BAS) — to VS Code and any VS Code-based editor. This includes AI-native editors like Cursor, Windsurf, and Kiro, as well as any other editor built on the VS Code platform.

Nearly a decade ago, MDK was introduced at SAP TechEd 2017 as a metadata-driven approach to building cross-platform mobile applications. Since then, the editor tooling has migrated twice — from SAP Web IDE on Neo to BAS on Cloud Foundry, and from a single platform to true cross-platform coverage on iOS and Android. Version 2.0 completes the next chapter: a single unified editor that runs everywhere developers work.

The MDK Development Journey

To appreciate what 2.0 means, it helps to see how far MDK development tooling has come.

SAP Web IDE (2018–2022) was the original home of MDK development. The first generally available release, MDK 2.0 SP01, shipped in May 2018 as a plugin for SAP Web IDE Full-Stack. Running on SAP Cloud Platform (Neo), it provided graphical editors for building MDK applications — page design, action configuration, and project deployment all happened within the browser. Initially iOS-only, the platform expanded to Android in mid-2019, completing the cross-platform mobile promise. Web IDE's MDK plugin was feature-frozen in 2023, with official migration guidance moving teams to BAS.

VS Code on the desktop (2018–present) arrived in parallel. SAP released the first MDK VS Code extension in August 2018 — initially macOS-only, distributed as a .vsix download from SAP Marketplace. Windows support followed in November 2018, and Live Mode debugging on physical devices landed in January 2019. Over the years, VS Code became the go-to environment for on-device debugging with full breakpoint and source map support for both iOS and Android. But the visual graphical editors were not available — to design a page visually or configure an action through a form-based UI, you had to switch to BAS.

SAP Business Application Studio (2020–present) succeeded Web IDE as the cloud IDE for MDK. Launched in mid-2020 alongside the broader shift from Neo to Cloud Foundry, BAS provided the MDK editor as a built-in feature of the “SAP Mobile Application” dev space. It brought a modern, extensible environment with improved visual page editors, drag & drop, integrated deployment, Storyboard visualization, Live Preview, and OData service connectivity. BAS and VS Code ran in parallel, sharing the same MDK metadata format but powered by separate codebases — each with its own feature set and release cadence.

SAP Build Code (2024–present) extended that reach by embedding MDK development into SAP's unified development platform. Starting with MDK 24.4, developers can create MDK projects from the SAP Build lobby, access the Storyboard for a graphical view of all application components, use the Mobile Application Services editor to connect to SAP Mobile Services, and deploy — all in a unified workflow backed by BAS under the hood.

MDK Editor 2.0 closes the last remaining gap: the full graphical editing experience is now available in VS Code and VS Code forks, alongside the debugging capabilities that were already there.

MDK Editor Evolution at a Glance

One Editor, One Codebase

Let's be clear: the MDK Editor in SAP Business Application Studio and SAP Build is not going away. The graphical editors you know from BAS continue to work exactly as before. Nothing changes for teams that rely on these cloud environments today.

What does change is that the same editor now runs everywhere. With version 2.0, we have unified the codebase so that a single extension powers all environments. Whether you open your MDK project in BAS, in SAP Build, in VS Code on your desktop, or in any VS Code-based editor like Cursor, Windsurf, or Kiro — you get the same editors, the same features, and the same experience.

The MDK Page Editor running in VS Code on macOS — with an AI coding agent modifying the page in real time via the Claude Code sidebar.

 Here is why we made this investment:

• Developer choice. Teams have strong preferences about their IDE. Some prefer the managed cloud environment of BAS; others want the speed and plugin ecosystem of a local VS Code installation; still others have adopted AI-native editors like Cursor, Windsurf, or Kiro. MDK should meet developers where they are.
• Consistency across platforms. Previously, two separate codebases powered the BAS and VS Code extensions. A unified codebase means no more feature gaps. A bug fixed in one place is fixed everywhere. A new control added to the visual editor shows up in every environment at the same time.
• Offline and hybrid workflows. Desktop VS Code works without a persistent cloud connection. Developers traveling, working on restricted networks, or simply preferring local tooling can now use the full graphical editor experience — plus on-device debugging that BAS cannot offer.
• The best of both worlds. With 2.0, desktop VS Code is no longer a “debugging-only” companion to BAS. It is a complete MDK development environment: graphical editors and on-device debugging in a single tool.

MDK Meets AI Agents

The timing of this release is no coincidence. The developer landscape is shifting rapidly toward AI-assisted development, and MDK is at the forefront.

The MCP Server for Mobile Development Kit

Last year, we introduced the MCP Server for Mobile Development Kit — an open-source MCP server (available on npm and GitHub) that gives AI coding agents access to the actual MDK toolset: project creation, artifact generation, build and deploy, validation, migration, and documentation lookup. Instead of relying solely on what an LLM knows about MDK (which may be outdated), agents get current schemas, validated templates, and real CLI commands.

AI Agents in Action

The MCP server works with Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, and other MCP-compatible clients. Developers can ask an agent to deploy their app (validate, build, deploy, and generate a QR code in one go), look up MDK property documentation in context, or migrate an outdated project — all conversationally.

Why This Matters for Editor 2.0

The MDK Editor 2.0 and the MCP Server are two pieces of the same story. Until now, the graphical editors ran only in BAS, while the MCP server worked best in desktop environments like Cursor and VS Code where AI agents are native. With 2.0, both come together in a single editor.

This unlocks workflows that were not possible before:

• AI-generated, visually refined. Ask an agent to scaffold a new customer detail page with a tabbed layout and OData bindings. The agent generates the .page and .action files through the MCP server. You open the result in the graphical Page Editor, rearrange controls, tweak properties, and preview the layout — all without touching JSON.
• Visually designed, AI-wired. Design your pages in the graphical editor, then ask the agent to generate the JavaScript rules, connect the navigation actions, and set up i18n strings. The agent understands your project structure through the MCP server and produces code that fits.
• Conversational operations. Instead of remembering command sequences, tell the agent “validate, build, and deploy this app” or “migrate this project to the latest schema version.” The MCP server translates natural language into the right CLI calls.
• Documentation on demand. Ask “what does the IsInitialTextPropertyBinding property do?” and the agent queries the MDK documentation server to give you an accurate, version-aware answer — not a hallucinated guess from training data.

The net effect is that MDK development in VS Code or any of its forks is no longer a compromise. You get the same visual editors as BAS, the same deployment pipeline, plus AI assistance and on-device debugging that cloud environments cannot offer.

The MDK MCP Server is part of a broader SAP ecosystem of MCP servers, alongside MCP servers for CAP, Fiori, and UI5.

What's New in 2.0

Unified Graphical Editors Across All Environments

The headline feature: all 13 specialized visual editors now work identically in BAS, SAP Build, VS Code, and VS Code forks.

Creating a new page in VS Code: choose from layout templates (Bottom Navigation, Flexible Column, Tabs, and more) with a live mobile preview.

Each editor is a fully interactive WebView built on SAP UI5, with property inspectors, control palettes, and synchronized text/graphical views. You can switch between the graphical editor and the raw JSON text editor at any time using the “Open Text Editor”https://community.sap.com/”Open Graphical Editor” commands.

The Action Editor template gallery — including Chat Completions and Generate Content for AI-powered mobile apps.

Desktop VS Code: Graphical Editors + Debugging

This is the key unlock. Previously, VS Code was a “debugging companion” — you would design in BAS, then switch to VS Code to debug. Now, desktop VS Code is a complete MDK development environment:

• Design visually — All 13 graphical editors, same as BAS
• Debug on device — Launch and attach to MDK apps running on iOS simulators, Android emulators, or physical devices with full breakpoint and source map support
• Manage provisioning — Import iOS provisioning profiles and set default simulators directly from VS Code
• Deploy — To SAP Mobile Services directly from the editor

For testing, developers deploy their app to SAP Mobile Services and run it using the SAP Mobile Services Client app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Combined with on-device debugging and the built-in QR code onboarding flow, you get a fast design-deploy-test cycle without leaving VS Code.

Deploying an MDK app on Windows: the Application Editor generates a QR code for instant onboarding on a mobile device.

Improved Performance

Extension activation has been rearchitected to be significantly faster, with phased initialization and lazy loading of heavier services like validation and language analysis. We are also actively working on reducing the overall extension size, which will further improve installation time in future releases.

Windows Compatibility

Version 2.0 adds full support for Windows, ensuring all editors, commands, and project operations work correctly on Windows environments.

The Create MDK Project Wizard on Windows — the same experience as on macOS and BAS, including CRUD templates and Mobile Services integration.

Connecting to SAP Mobile Services directly from VS Code on Windows — configure data source, landscape, and OData destinations in the project wizard.

Other Changes

• Upgraded: Minimum VS Code version 1.105.0, Node.js 22
• Various new UI control properties and enhancements
• Bug fixes and stability improvements across platforms

Where to Develop MDK Apps

All environments support building, validating, and deploying to SAP Mobile Services. Choose the one that fits your team's workflow — or use more than one. The unified codebase ensures a consistent experience everywhere.

Getting Started

For VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Kiro, and Other VS Code-Based Editors

1. Install the extension — Search for “SAP Mobile Development Kit” in the VS Code Marketplace.

   Note for VS Code forks (Cursor, Windsurf, Kiro, etc.): We are working on publishing the extension to Open VSX for native gallery availability. Until then, download the .vsix file from the VS Code Marketplace and install it manually (Extensions > Install from VSIX...).

2. Open an MDK project — The extension activates automatically when it detects an Application.app file in your workspace.

3. Start editing — Click any .page, .action, or .service file to open the graphical editor. Use the “Open Text Editor” command to switch to the JSON source view at any time.

4. (Optional) Add AI assistance — Install the MDK MCP Server for AI-powered development:

   npm install -g @sap/mdk-mcp-server

   Then configure it in your editor's MCP settings. See the MCP Server blog post for detailed setup instructions.

For BAS and SAP Build Users

You do not need to do anything. The updated extension will be available in your environment as part of the regular platform update cycle.

New to MDK?

Start with these resources:

Looking Ahead

The unified codebase is a foundation, not a destination. With a single extension powering all environments, we can iterate faster and deliver new capabilities to every developer simultaneously. Expect continued investment in:

• Enhanced AI agent integration via the MDK MCP Server
• Further simplification of SAP Mobile Services integration
• Performance and bundle size optimizations
• Tighter integration with SAP Build's development workflows

As a developer, you should be able to build SAP mobile apps in whatever environment you prefer to use. MDK Editor 2.0 makes that a reality.

The SAP Mobile Development Kit Editor 2.0 is available now on the Visual Studio Code Marketplace. For documentation, visit the SAP Mobile Development Kit documentation. The MDK MCP Server is open source at github.com/SAP/mdk-mcp-server.

Further Reading