📋 Scenario Overview
This example demonstrates how to build an intelligent travel planning agent using the Microsoft Agent Framework for .NET. The agent can automatically generate personalized day-trip itineraries for random destinations around the world.
Key Capabilities:
- 🎲 Random Destination Selection: Uses a custom tool to pick vacation spots
- 🗺️ Intelligent Trip Planning: Creates detailed day-by-day itineraries
- 🔄 Real-time Streaming: Supports both immediate and streaming responses
- 🛠️ Custom Tool Integration: Demonstrates how to extend agent capabilities
🔧 Technical Architecture
Core Technologies
- Microsoft Agent Framework: Latest .NET implementation for AI agent development
- Azure OpenAI (Responses API): Uses the Azure OpenAI Responses API for model inference
- Azure Identity: Secure sign-in via
AzureCliCredential(az login) - Secure Configuration: Environment-based endpoint management
Key Components
- AIAgent: The main agent orchestrator that handles conversation flow
- Custom Tools:
GetRandomDestination()function available to the agent - Responses Client: Azure OpenAI Responses-based conversation interface
- Streaming Support: Real-time response generation capabilities
Integration Pattern
graph LR
A[User Request] --> B[AI Agent]
B --> C[Azure OpenAI (Responses API)]
B --> D[GetRandomDestination Tool]
C --> E[Travel Itinerary]
D --> E
🚀 Getting Started
Prerequisites
- .NET 10 SDK or higher
- An Azure subscription with an Azure OpenAI resource and a model deployment
- The Azure CLI — sign in with
az login
Required Environment Variables
# zsh/bash
export AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT=https://<your-resource>.openai.azure.com
export AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT=gpt-5-mini
# Then sign in so AzureCliCredential can get a token
az login
# PowerShell
$env:AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT = "https://<your-resource>.openai.azure.com"
$env:AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT = "gpt-5-mini"
# Then sign in so AzureCliCredential can get a token
az login
Sample Code
To run the code example,
# zsh/bash
chmod +x ./01-dotnet-agent-framework.cs
./01-dotnet-agent-framework.cs
Or using the dotnet CLI:
dotnet run ./01-dotnet-agent-framework.cs
See 01-dotnet-agent-framework.cs for the complete code.
#!/usr/bin/dotnet run
#:package Microsoft.Extensions.AI@10.4.1
#:package Microsoft.Agents.AI.OpenAI@1.1.0
#:package Azure.AI.OpenAI@2.1.0
#:package Azure.Identity@1.13.1
using System.ComponentModel;
using Microsoft.Agents.AI;
using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
using Azure.AI.OpenAI;
using Azure.Identity;
// Tool Function: Random Destination Generator
// This static method will be available to the agent as a callable tool
// The [Description] attribute helps the AI understand when to use this function
// This demonstrates how to create custom tools for AI agents
[Description("Provides a random vacation destination.")]
static string GetRandomDestination()
{
// List of popular vacation destinations around the world
// The agent will randomly select from these options
var destinations = new List<string>
{
"Paris, France",
"Tokyo, Japan",
"New York City, USA",
"Sydney, Australia",
"Rome, Italy",
"Barcelona, Spain",
"Cape Town, South Africa",
"Rio de Janeiro, Brazil",
"Bangkok, Thailand",
"Vancouver, Canada"
};
// Generate random index and return selected destination
// Uses System.Random for simple random selection
var random = new Random();
int index = random.Next(destinations.Count);
return destinations[index];
}
// Azure OpenAI with the Responses API (stable v1 endpoint). Sign in with `az login`.
var azureEndpoint = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT")
?? throw new InvalidOperationException("AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT is not set.");
var deployment = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT") ?? "gpt-5-mini";
var azureClient = new AzureOpenAIClient(new Uri(azureEndpoint), new AzureCliCredential());
// Create AI Agent with Travel Planning Capabilities
// Get the Responses client for the specified deployment and create the AI agent
// Configure agent with travel planning instructions and random destination tool
// The agent can now plan trips using the GetRandomDestination function
AIAgent agent = azureClient
.GetChatClient(deployment)
.AsAIAgent(
instructions: "You are a helpful AI Agent that can help plan vacations for customers at random destinations",
tools: [AIFunctionFactory.Create(GetRandomDestination)]
);
// Execute Agent: Plan a Day Trip
// Run the agent with streaming enabled for real-time response display
// Shows the agent's thinking and response as it generates the content
// Provides better user experience with immediate feedback
await foreach (var update in agent.RunStreamingAsync("Plan me a day trip"))
{
await Task.Delay(10);
Console.Write(update);
}
🎓 Key Takeaways
- Agent Architecture: The Microsoft Agent Framework provides a clean, type-safe approach to building AI agents in .NET
- Tool Integration: Functions decorated with
[Description]attributes become available tools for the agent - Configuration Management: Environment variables and secure credential handling follow .NET best practices
- Azure OpenAI Responses API: The agent uses the Azure OpenAI Responses API through the Azure.AI.OpenAI SDK