Add an optional MCP Apps wizard for the UI5 modernization workflow

[marianfoo]

Why are you proposing this feature?

Motivation

The /modernize-ui5-app workflow runs a UI5 modernization in five phases, with verification gates, linter runs, tests, commits, and final reports.

For larger applications this can take significant time. The current terminal and conversation output provides the necessary information, but it can be difficult to understand the overall progress, the current phase, completed verification gates, and remaining manual work.

During the Q&A of the UI5con 2026 session about MCP Apps, the idea came up to present this workflow as a guided wizard or progress dashboard.

Session material and MCP Apps example using ui5lint:
https://github.com/marianfoo/UI5con_2026_MCPApps/tree/main/packages/03-ui5-lint-findings

Proposal

Explore an optional MCP App for the UI5 modernization workflow.

The MCP App would complement the existing conversation and terminal output. It should not replace the current non-UI workflow.

A possible interface could contain:

1. A preflight summary with the detected project type, UI5 version, linter baseline, test setup, and selected verification mode.
2. A stepper showing the five modernization phases and their current states.
3. Progress information such as files processed, findings fixed, findings remaining, and elapsed time.
4. Verification-gate results including build status, test results, changed files, and the phase commit.
5. Explicit actions such as Continue, Retry verification, Pause, or Abort.
6. A final summary linking to MODERNIZATION-REPORT.md and MODERNIZATION-ISSUES.md.

The UI could also provide a filterable view of remaining findings grouped by phase, rule, and file.

Possible MVP

Start with a read-only progress dashboard:

• Show the current run and verification mode.
• Display phase states: pending, running, passed, failed, or waiting.
• Show the latest linter, build, and test summaries.
• Show files changed and commits created per phase.
• Refresh the status through a read-only MCP tool.
• Preserve the existing terminal output as the fallback.

A later version could add gate actions. These actions should return control to the coding agent rather than modifying source files directly from the iframe.

Possible architecture

The modernization orchestrator could write structured state for each run, for example:

• Run ID and project path
• Current phase and operation
• Baseline and current finding counts
• Phase status and verification results
• Changed files and commit IDs
• Deferred issues and blockers

An optional local MCP server could expose that state through a tool and associate it with a prebuilt ui:// resource.

The MCP App could poll a read-only status tool or refresh on demand. Continue, Retry, Pause, and Abort actions could send an instruction back to the host so that the existing modernization skill remains responsible for code changes and verification.

Compatibility

MCP Apps are host-dependent. The feature should only be enabled when the client declares MCP Apps support.

Clients without MCP Apps support must continue to receive the existing text-based workflow without reduced functionality.

Mockup

This is, of course, just a suggestion—mainly because I wasn't able to explore the possibilities myself. I've also created a few mockups of what it might look like.
How it can ultimately be used realistically and effectively still needs to be examined in detail. This is just meant to serve as inspiration, especially since it came up during today's Q&A.

How should a possible solution look like?

No response

Are there alternative approaches?

No response

Any further information you would like to share?

No response