agent-framework/python/samples/getting_started/agents/custom/README.md

Custom Agent and Chat Client Examples

This folder contains examples demonstrating how to implement custom agents and chat clients using the Microsoft Agent Framework.

Examples

File	Description
custom_agent.py	Shows how to create custom agents by extending the BaseAgent class. Demonstrates the EchoAgent implementation with both streaming and non-streaming responses, proper thread management, and message history handling.
custom_chat_client.py	Demonstrates how to create custom chat clients by extending the BaseChatClient class. Shows the EchoingChatClient implementation and how to integrate it with ChatAgent using the create_agent() method.

Key Takeaways

Custom Agents

• Custom agents give you complete control over the agent's behavior
• You must implement both run() (for complete responses) and run_stream() (for streaming responses)
• Use self._normalize_messages() to handle different input message formats
• Use self._notify_thread_of_new_messages() to properly manage conversation history

Custom Chat Clients

• Custom chat clients allow you to integrate any backend service or create new LLM providers
• You must implement both _inner_get_response() and _inner_get_streaming_response()
• Custom chat clients can be used with ChatAgent to leverage all agent framework features
• Use the create_agent() method to easily create agents from your custom chat clients

Both approaches allow you to extend the framework for your specific use cases while maintaining compatibility with the broader Agent Framework ecosystem.