MICROSOFT AGENT FRAMEWORK · 0.16.0-rc.1
Introduction and audience
Build a .NET component that reasons, proposes and acts under host control.
Objectives
- .NET audience and goals
- Course organization and stable identities
- Fixture/live modes and teaching scope
What you will build
A product request arrives in natural language: “Since the update, PDF export freezes for ten seconds.” The course turns this input into a backlog proposal, then into a SQLite write only after application checks. This deliberately small case lets you study each boundary without learning an entire business application.
The course is for .NET developers and architects. By the end of the foundations, you should be able to decide whether an agent adds value, configure its connection, validate its proposals and establish its effects. Response quality and permission to act are separate questions.
A sequence of small steps
P00 compares a C# rule, explicit orchestration and open-ended reasoning. P01 establishes the connection and tests capabilities before the first agent. P02 introduces a business contract; P03 exposes a read catalogue; P04 adds an approved action and database evidence. Demo010–Demo490 identifiers remain stable; the configurator is a separate setup entry.
Demos are independent programs sharing libraries. Chapters explain the choices; demo pages give projects, procedures and observable failures. Start/End exercises consolidate these skills. Historical J1/J2 names identify provenance and impose no course duration.
Identify four layers
Your application owns business policy, services and data. Microsoft Agent Framework organizes agents, tools and sessions. IChatClient provides the common chat contract; the provider runs the model through its protocol. A model can generate text and structured tool requests; host code executes permitted functions. Switching providers preserves an interface, not identical behavioral guarantees.
Interpret evidence within its scope
A fixture exercises software without qualifying a model. A deterministic run establishes the tested path. A live run concerns a profile, protocol, input and date. Expected results on demo pages come from code inspection unless a dated observation is identified. The granite4:3b candidate/judge profile remains unqualified; the foundations are not production certification.
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