agent-framework/python/packages/devui/dev.md

Testing DevUI - Quick Setup Guide

Here are the step-by-step instructions to test the new DevUI feature:

1. Get the Code

git clone https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework.git
cd agent-framework

2. Setup Environment

Navigate to the Python directory and install dependencies:

cd python
uv sync --dev
source .venv/bin/activate

3. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the python/ directory with your API credentials:

# Copy the example file
cp .env.example .env

Then edit .env and add your API keys:

# For OpenAI (minimum required)
OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
OPENAI_CHAT_MODEL_ID="gpt-4o-mini"

# Or for Azure OpenAI
AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT="your-endpoint"
AZURE_OPENAI_CHAT_DEPLOYMENT_NAME="your-deployment-name"

4. Test DevUI

Option A: In-Memory Mode (Recommended for quick testing)

cd samples/getting_started/devui
python in_memory_mode.py

This runs a simple example with predefined agents and opens your browser automatically at http://localhost:8090

Option B: Directory-Based Discovery

cd samples/getting_started/devui
devui

This launches the UI with all example agents/workflows at http://localhost:8080

5. What You'll See

• A web interface for testing agents interactively
• Multiple example agents (weather assistant, general assistant, etc.)
• OpenAI-compatible API endpoints for programmatic access

6. API Testing (Optional)

You can also test via API calls:

Single Request

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/v1/responses \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "weather_agent",
    "input": "What is the weather in Seattle?"
  }'

Multi-turn Conversations

# Create a conversation
curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/v1/conversations \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"metadata": {"agent_id": "weather_agent"}}'

# Returns: {"id": "conv_abc123", ...}

# Use conversation ID in requests
curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/v1/responses \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "weather_agent",
    "input": "What is the weather in Seattle?",
    "conversation": "conv_abc123"
  }'

# Continue the conversation
curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/v1/responses \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "weather_agent",
    "input": "How about tomorrow?",
    "conversation": "conv_abc123"
  }'

API Mapping

Agent Framework content types → OpenAI Responses API events (in _mapper.py):

Agent Framework Content	OpenAI Event	Status
TextContent	response.output_text.delta	Standard
TextReasoningContent	response.reasoning.delta	Standard
FunctionCallContent (initial)	response.output_item.added	Standard
FunctionCallContent (args)	response.function_call_arguments.delta	Standard
FunctionResultContent	response.function_result.complete	Standard
ErrorContent	response.error	Standard
UsageContent	response.usage.complete	Extended
WorkflowEvent	response.workflow.event	DevUI
DataContent, UriContent	response.trace.complete	DevUI

• Standard = OpenAI spec, Extended = OpenAI + extra fields, DevUI = DevUI-specific

Frontend Development

cd python/packages/devui/frontend
yarn install

# Development (hot reload)
yarn dev

# Build (copies to backend ui/)
yarn build

Running Tests

cd python/packages/devui

# All tests
pytest tests/ -v

# Specific suites
pytest tests/test_conversations.py -v  # Conversation store
pytest tests/test_server.py -v         # API endpoints
pytest tests/test_mapper.py -v         # Event mapping

Troubleshooting

• Missing API key: Make sure your .env file is in the python/ directory with valid credentials. Or set environment variables directly in your shell before running DevUI.
• Import errors: Run uv sync --dev again to ensure all dependencies are installed
• Port conflicts: DevUI uses ports 8080 and 8090 by default - close other services using these ports

Let me know if you run into any issues!