Phase 2 of the .NET Workflows outputs overhaul. Additive code change
only - no observable runtime behavior change. The runner still uses the
legacy bypass for AgentResponse / AgentResponseUpdate payloads, and the
new `Futures.EnableAgentResponseOutputTaggingAndFiltering` flag defaults
to false. Phase 3 will wire the flag into the runner; this commit only
introduces the types and the builder API.
New public surface:
* `OutputTag` (readonly struct): wraps a string Value with ordinal
equality (IEquatable, GetHashCode, == / !=) so it can participate as a
HashSet element. Internal ctor closes the set. One public singleton:
`OutputTag.Intermediate`. Terminal / regular outputs carry no tag
(empty Tags set). JSON-serialized as a bare string via
[JsonConverter(typeof(OutputTagJsonConverter))], with the converter
rehydrating to the well-known singleton on read.
* `Futures` (static class): hosts opt-in pre-GA behavior switches.
First flag is `EnableAgentResponseOutputTaggingAndFiltering`; XML doc
captures the v2.0.0 obsoletion / v3.0.0 removal lifecycle.
* `WorkflowOutputEvent.Tags`: `HashSet<OutputTag>` exposed directly
(concrete collection, matches the JSON-serialization convention used
for `WorkflowInfo.OutputExecutorIds`). Never null; empty for legacy /
terminal events. New ctors take a single `OutputTag` or
`IEnumerable<OutputTag>?`; the existing (data, executorId) ctor
remains and produces an untagged event. `HasTag(OutputTag)` helper.
`AgentResponseEvent` and `AgentResponseUpdateEvent` gain matching
tag-accepting ctors forwarding to the base.
* `WorkflowOutputEventExtensions.IsIntermediate(this WorkflowOutputEvent)`:
extension method returning `evt.HasTag(OutputTag.Intermediate)`. The
preferred way to ask "is this an intermediate output?" without
reaching into the Tags set.
* `WorkflowBuilder.WithOutputFrom(IEnumerable<ExecutorBinding>, OutputTag)`
and `WorkflowBuilder.WithOutputFrom(ExecutorBinding, OutputTag)`:
forward-looking tagged overloads. The IEnumerable form is the primary
tagged surface; the single-executor form is a convenience for the
common one-executor case. Currently usable for the
`OutputTag.Intermediate` singleton; will become the primary surface
once the `OutputTag` constructor is opened to user-defined tags in
a future release. Callers in this release should prefer the
intent-specific `WithIntermediateOutputFrom` extension for the
intermediate case. Tags accumulate across repeated calls; same tag
repeated dedupes via the HashSet.
* `WorkflowBuilderExtensions.WithIntermediateOutputFrom(this WorkflowBuilder, IEnumerable<ExecutorBinding>)`:
helper that forwards to `WithOutputFrom(executors, OutputTag.Intermediate)`.
Takes an IEnumerable (matching the tagged WithOutputFrom shape) -
callers pass collection literals: `builder.WithIntermediateOutputFrom([a, b])`.
XML doc remarks call out the Futures-flag interaction and the
AIAgent-payload forwarding contract.
Internal shape changes:
* `WorkflowBuilder._outputExecutors`: HashSet<string> -> Dictionary<
string, HashSet<OutputTag>>. The value set is empty for executors
designated only via the untagged WithOutputFrom; contains Intermediate
(and possibly future tags) otherwise.
* `Workflow.OutputExecutors`: HashSet<string> -> Dictionary<string,
HashSet<OutputTag>>.
* `OutputFilter.CanOutput`: `Contains(id)` -> `ContainsKey(id)`.
* `WorkflowInfo.OutputExecutorIds`: HashSet<string> -> Dictionary<
string, HashSet<OutputTag>>, with a custom JsonConverter that reads
both the new map shape (`{id: ["intermediate", ...]}`) and the legacy
array shape (`[id1, id2]`, where each id is treated as an untagged
output). Always writes the map shape. IsMatch updated to compare
per-id tag sets.
Tests landing in this commit (per the test-with-feature principle):
* `OutputTagTests.cs` (6 tests): KnownValues, EqualityIsOrdinalOnValue,
DefaultStructValueIsDistinct (default(OutputTag) does not collide
with the Intermediate singleton in a HashSet),
GetHashCodeMatchesEquals, JsonConverter_RoundtripsValueAsString,
ConstructorIsInternal (reflection-based assertion that the (string)
ctor is `internal`).
* `WorkflowBuilderTests.cs` adds 7 new tests pinning the builder
API contract: RegistersWithEmptyTagSet, AddsIntermediateTag,
MultipleExecutorsAllUntagged, ThenIntermediate_AccumulatesTags,
RepeatedDedupes, OnlyRegistersWithoutPriorWithOutputFrom,
TracksExecutorBinding.
* `BackwardsCompatibility/JsonCheckpointSerializationTests.cs`
(new folder + file, 5 tests): event-level ctor contract tests
(single-tag, no-tag, multi-tag — the last with a custom tag);
IsIntermediate() asserted; load-bearing JSON BC tests for
`WorkflowInfo.OutputExecutorIds` -
`WorkflowOutputExecutorsReadsLegacyArrayShape` (legacy ids map to
empty tag sets) and `WorkflowOutputExecutorsWritesMapShape`.
The plan's three JSON round-trip tests for `WorkflowOutputEvent.Tags`
were dropped: `WorkflowEvent` is not currently a serialized checkpoint
shape (see the comment in WorkflowsJsonUtilities.cs about events not
being persisted), so there is no real back-compat surface to pin
through JSON. They are substituted with in-process ctor/property
round-trip tests that exercise the `Tags` / `HasTag` / `IsIntermediate`
contract.
Validation: full `Microsoft.Agents.AI.Workflows.UnitTests` suite runs
green on net10.0 (565 passing, 0 failing). Core library builds clean
on net472, netstandard2.0, net8.0, net9.0, and net10.0. Test project
builds clean on net472 + net10.0.
Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
* Refactor group chat workflow to prevent message echoing and enhance checkpointing
- Updated GroupChatWorkflowBuilder to disable forwarding incoming messages to prevent duplicates.
- Enhanced RoundRobinGroupChatManager with checkpointing support to preserve state across executions.
- Modified GroupChatHost to maintain a history of messages and track the current speaker for message broadcasting.
- Implemented broadcasting logic to ensure participants receive messages from others while excluding their own responses.
- Added comprehensive unit tests for group chat orchestration, including scenarios for tool approval and function calls.
- Introduced a new ApprovalHarness for testing tool invocation and approval workflows.
* fixup: format
* Add JSON serialization support for GroupChatManagerState and RoundRobinGroupChatManagerState
---------
Co-authored-by: Jacob Alber <jalber@lokitoth.com>
When MultiPartyConversation gets saved during checkpointing, the data for the chat history is not persisted, resulting in failures to deserialize after. The fix is to make the history visible to the source generated serialization code.
* Handle external input request and response conversion for workflow as agent scenario
* Remove unnecessary test comment
* Fix PR comments
* Updated to fix edge cases, and add more tests.
* Update pending requests to use typed properties instead of relying on StateBag. replying to PR feedback.
* Fixed external response de-dup and updated possible brittle test.
* Address PR comments on sending turn token for normal messages and handle contentId collision by source agent
* Remove unnecessary serialization element and address pr comment on intercepted outgoing requests
* Updated MEAI changes for UserInput request and response abstractions.
* adds support for labels in edges, fixes rendering of labels in dot and mermaid, adds rendering of labels in edges
* Update dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI.Workflows/Visualization/WorkflowVisualizer.cs
Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
* escaping edge labels, adding tests for labels containing strange characters that would break the diagram and enabling the previous signature so the API has backwards compatibility.
* Unify label in EdgeData
* Edge API adjustments, removed useless "sanitizer"
* fixed test
---------
Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Jacob Alber <jaalber@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Chris <66376200+crickman@users.noreply.github.com>
* refactor: Unify ExecutorIsh and ExecutorRegistration => ExecutorBinding
* Switch to more modern Record type-tree for Sum Types
* Unify APIs for getting ExecutorBinding
* Fix an issue where workflows consisting entirely of cross-run shareable executors which are not instance-resettable do not properly clear state when running non-concurrently.
* feat: Simplify function-to-executor pattern
* refactor: Normalize API naming
Checkpointing is used by the WorkflowHostAgent to be able to support resume from a provided thread. When a CheckpointManager is not specified, we use the InMemoryCheckpointManager and serialize its state into the thread's Serialize()ed JsonElement.
At some point InMemoryCheckpointManager became not serializable, breaking this behaviour. This change restores serializability, and adds a test.
Remove input type checking in favour of explicit `.DescribeProtocolAsync()` flow. Also removes `.AsAgentAsync()` as the validation happens at workflow run time. This makes it easier to use Workflows with DI without resorting to async-over-sync.
* feat: Add support for Workflow-as-Executor
* Fixes routing of 'object' compile-typed variables to properly take in type information
* Fixes a concurrency issue in StepTracer
* fix: Make Subworkflow ExternalRequests work properly
* fix: Threading and Concurrency fixes; prep for OffThread Mode
* refactor: Remove dead code around OffStreamRunEventStream
Currently not used, and will be replaced with a rewrite when brought back, so having it in the change is not valuable.
* ci: Work around issues with dotnet-format not properly analyzing the source
* fix: Fix the logic of AsyncCoordinator and AsyncBarrier
* Prevent individual wait cancellations from canceling the entire barrier
* Propagate information about whether the wait was completed or cancelled, and whether any waiters were present when released
* fix: Remove superfluous acces to .Keys in InProcStepTracer
* refactor: Clean up AsyncCoordinator's use of AsyncBarrier
Peter IbekweandGitHub
Ben ThomasandGitHub