Passing in initial context to a Microsoft Agent Framework Agent

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Summary

The issue at hand is passing initial context to a Microsoft Agent Framework Agent. The current approach involves creating a new ChatMessage, passing it into the workflow instance, and using an executor to extract the contents into IWorkflowContext. However, this method seems flakey and prone to errors.

Root Cause

The root cause of this issue is the lack of a straightforward way to pass initial context to the Microsoft Agent Framework Agent. The current documentation recommends a convoluted approach, which can lead to:

  • Tight coupling between the agent and the workflow instance
  • Data inconsistency due to the indirect way of passing context
  • Error prone code that is hard to maintain and debug

Why This Happens in Real Systems

This issue occurs in real systems due to:

  • Insufficient documentation and guidance on using the Microsoft Agent Framework
  • Limited experience with the framework, leading to a lack of understanding of best practices
  • Preview stage of the framework, which can result in incomplete or changing APIs

Real-World Impact

The impact of this issue can be significant, including:

  • Increased development time due to the complexity of the current approach
  • Higher error rates caused by the indirect and error-prone way of passing context
  • Difficulty in maintaining and scaling the system due to tight coupling and data inconsistency

Example or Code (if necessary and relevant)

// Example of creating a new ChatMessage and passing it into the workflow instance
var chatMessage = new ChatMessage("CustomerId", "12345");
var workflowInstance = new WorkflowInstance(chatMessage);

How Senior Engineers Fix It

Senior engineers can fix this issue by:

  • Storing the information in the WorkflowContext directly, rather than using a ChatMessage as an intermediary
  • Using a more straightforward approach to pass initial context to the agent, such as using a constructor parameter or a configuration file
  • Implementing a robust and scalable solution that avoids tight coupling and data inconsistency

Why Juniors Miss It

Junior engineers may miss this issue due to:

  • Lack of experience with the Microsoft Agent Framework and its nuances
  • Insufficient understanding of software design principles, such as loose coupling and separation of concerns
  • Overreliance on documentation and official recommendations, rather than thinking critically about the problem and potential solutions