How CLI Tools Can Drastically Reduce Token Consumption ⚡

How CLI Tools Can Drastically Reduce Token Consumption ⚡

After discovering that tools were silently burning my context window, I had a new problem:

How do I keep powerful agents without paying the cost of massive schemas?

The answer did not come from AI.

It came from something much older.

👉 The command line.

🧠 The Problem with Traditional Tools

Most agent tools today are defined with JSON schemas, nested parameters, verbose descriptions, and strict typing.

They look clean to us as developers.

But to an LLM?

👉 They are heavy prompt payloads.

Every request includes:

  • full schema
  • all parameters
  • all descriptions

Even if the user only says:

“order coffee”

💥 Why This Does Not Scale

Let’s say you have:

  • 30 tools
  • each with 800 tokens

That means:

👉 24,000 tokens before the user even speaks

And most of those tokens are:

  • never used
  • rarely relevant
  • repeated every time

🔍 Rethinking Tools

So I asked myself:

Do tools really need to be JSON schemas?

Or…

👉 Do they just need to be understandable commands?

⚡ Enter CLI-Style Tools

Instead of this:

{
  "name": "create_order",
  "parameters": {
    "userId": "...",
    "productId": "...",
    "quantity": "..."
  }
}

You define tools like this:

create_order uid pid qty

Or even:

order coffee size=large sugar=0

🧬 Why This Works

Because LLMs are incredibly good at:

  • parsing text
  • understanding intent
  • filling structured patterns

You do not need:

  • deep JSON
  • verbose schemas
  • long descriptions

👉 You just need clear syntax

📉 Token Cost Comparison

JSON Tool

~800–1500 tokens

CLI Tool

~10–30 tokens

👉 That is a 50x–100x reduction

🧠 Less Structure, Better Reasoning

With CLI tools:

  • fewer tokens means more room for conversation
  • simpler format means easier decisions
  • less noise means better accuracy

The model does not need to:

  • parse nested JSON
  • match schemas
  • validate deep structures

It just:

👉 generates a command

⚙️ How It Looks in Practice

User says:

“I want a large coffee with no sugar”

Agent outputs:

order_coffee size=large sugar=0

Your backend:

  • parses the string
  • validates parameters
  • executes the action

🧩 You Move Complexity Out of the Model

This is the key shift:

Before:

  • the model handles structure
  • the model handles validation
  • the model handles formatting

After:

  • the model generates intent
  • your code handles everything else

👉 Which is exactly what we want as engineers

🚀 Benefits for Real Systems

If you are building something like:

  • WhatsApp or Telegram agents
  • multi-domain assistants

CLI tools give you:

  • massive token savings
  • faster responses
  • lower cost per user
  • better scalability
  • simpler tool definitions

⚠️ Trade-offs

CLI tools are not magic.

You lose:

  • strict schema validation in the prompt
  • automatic argument formatting
  • some guardrails

So you must:

  • validate inputs in your backend
  • handle errors gracefully
  • design clean command syntax

🧠 Best Practices

1. Keep commands short

order_coffee
book_yoga
pay_invoice

2. Use key=value pairs

book_yoga date=2026-03-28 time=10:00

3. Avoid ambiguity

Bad:

order stuff

Good:

order_food item=pizza size=large

4. Build a parser layer in C#

This fits perfectly with a .NET stack:

  • Regex or tokenizer
  • map to DTO
  • validate
  • execute

5. Combine with routing

The best setup looks like this:

Router → Domain → CLI tools

Now you get:

  • small toolsets
  • tiny prompts
  • efficient agents

💡 The Big Insight

After all this, I realized:

JSON schemas are for machines.
CLI commands are for language models.

🏁 Conclusion

The goal is not to remove tools.

The goal is to:

👉 make tools cheaper to think about

CLI-style tools:

  • reduce tokens
  • simplify reasoning
  • scale better

And most importantly:


They let your agent focus on what actually matters — understanding the user.

From “Hello” to Quota Exceeded: The Day My Agent Broke 💥

From “Hello” to Quota Exceeded: The Day My Agent Broke 💥

After testing OpenClaw, something clicked.

The future is not chat.

👉 The future is agents.

🛠️ Building the “Perfect” Agent

I started designing what I thought would be the ultimate assistant:

  • General purpose
  • Connected to everything
  • Capable of doing real tasks

And to make that happen…

I built tools.
A lot of tools.

Not generic ones — very specific tools:

  • booking flows
  • ordering systems
  • logistics
  • payments
  • daily life actions

Before I knew it…

👉 My agent had around 50 custom tools

And honestly, it felt powerful.

💡 The Business Idea

The plan was simple:

  • Give users a few free tokens per day
  • Let them try the agent
  • Hook them with real utility

A classic freemium model.

💥 Reality Hit Immediately

What actually happened?

Users would send:

“Hello”

…and then…

👉 Quota exceeded

Not after a conversation.
Not after a task.
After the second request.

🤨 That Made No Sense

At first, I thought:

  • Maybe there’s a bug
  • Maybe token counting is wrong
  • Maybe pricing is off

But everything checked out.

Still:

  • almost no conversation
  • almost no output
  • quota gone

🧠 That’s When I Started Digging

So I did what we always do:

👉 I looked under the hood

And what I found changed how I think about agents completely.

🔍 The Hidden Cost of Tools

I realized something critical:

My agent wasn’t just sending messages.
It was sending all 50 tools on every request.

Every. Single. Time.

📦 What That Actually Means

Each tool had:

  • name
  • description
  • parameters
  • JSON schema
  • nested objects

Individually? Fine.

Together?

👉 Massive.

So even a simple request like:

“Hello”

Was actually being processed like:

[system prompt]
[conversation]
[50 tool definitions]
[user: Hello]

🔥 I Was Burning Tokens Without Knowing

That’s when it clicked.

The user wasn’t paying for:

  • the message
  • the response

They were paying for:

👉 the entire toolset injected into the prompt

📉 Why My Quota Disappeared Instantly

Let’s do the math.

  • each tool ≈ 600–1000 tokens
  • I had ~50 tools

👉 I was sending 30,000–50,000 tokens per request

For a “Hello”.

No wonder the quota was gone after two messages.

😳 The Illusion of “Light Usage”

From the user’s perspective:

  • they typed almost nothing
  • they got almost nothing

From the system’s perspective:

👉 It processed a massive prompt

🧬 The Realization

That’s when I understood:

Tools are not just capabilities.
Tools are context weight.

Every tool:

  • consumes tokens
  • competes for attention
  • increases cost

⚠️ The Bigger Problem

It wasn’t just cost.

The agent was also:

  • slower
  • less accurate
  • sometimes picking the wrong tool

Because it had to:

👉 reason over 50 options every time

🧠 The Shift in Thinking

Before:

“More tools = smarter agent”

After:

“More tools = heavier prompt = worse performance”

🚀 What This Changed for Me

I stopped trying to build:

❌ One agent that does everything

And started designing:

✅ Systems that load only what’s needed

🧩 The New Approach

Instead of:

Agent → 50 tools

I moved to:

User → Router → Domain Agent → 5 tools

Now:

  • smaller prompts
  • lower cost
  • better decisions

💡 Final Insight

That experience taught me something simple but powerful:


If your agent feels expensive, slow, or dumb…
check how many tools you’re injecting into the prompt.

Because sometimes:

👉 You’re not scaling intelligence
👉 You’re scaling tokens

🏁 Closing

That “Hello → quota exceeded” moment was frustrating.

But it revealed a fundamental truth about agents:


The problem is not how many tools you have.
The problem is how many you send every time.

And once you see that…

You start building agents very differently.

The Day I Integrated GitHub Copilot SDK Inside My XAF App (Part 2)

The Day I Integrated GitHub Copilot SDK Inside My XAF App (Part 2)

This guide covers how to integrate the GitHub Copilot SDK (GitHub.Copilot.SDK) into .NET applications and how to bridge it to the Microsoft.Extensions.AI.IChatClient abstraction so that any UI component — DevExpress DxAIChat, a Blazor chat page, a WinForms control, or any consumer that depends on IChatClient — can route messages through GitHub Copilot’s LLM backend transparently.

The guide walks through every layer of the SDK: client lifecycle, session management, event-driven streaming, tool/function calling with AIFunctionFactory, hooks, permissions, user input requests, context compaction, skills, MCP servers, custom agents, and finally the IChatClient adapter pattern that makes the SDK a drop-in backend for Microsoft.Extensions.AI.

What you will be able to do after this guide:

  • Create and manage a CopilotClient lifecycle (start, ping, status, auth, list models, stop, dispose).
  • Open stateful sessions with model selection, streaming, and system messages.
  • Register custom C# tools (AIFunction) that the model calls autonomously.
  • Intercept tool calls with pre/post hooks and permission handlers.
  • Request user input from the model via OnUserInputRequest.
  • Enable infinite sessions with context compaction.
  • Load skill directories (SKILL.md) to shape model behavior.
  • Configure MCP servers and custom agents on a session.
  • Wrap CopilotChatService in an IChatClient adapter (CopilotChatClient) for seamless DI integration.
  • Register everything through a single AddCopilotSdk() extension method.

[[[MERMAIDBLOCK0]]]


Prerequisites

Requirement Minimum Version Notes
.NET SDK 8.0 .NET 9 / 10 also supported
GitHub.Copilot.SDK 0.1.23 The official GitHub Copilot SDK NuGet package
Microsoft.Extensions.AI latest The IChatClient abstraction from Microsoft
GitHub authentication Either VS Code / GitHub CLI logged-in user, or a GitHub Personal Access Token
IDE Visual Studio 2022 17.8+ or VS Code with C# Dev Kit
OS Windows, macOS, or Linux

Optional but recommended:

Package Version Purpose
Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console latest Console logging for the SDK
Markdig 0.38+ Server-side Markdown → HTML rendering
HtmlSanitizer 8.* Prevent XSS in rendered HTML

Quick Start — Console App

1. Create a console project

dotnet new console -n MyCopilotApp
cd MyCopilotApp

2. Install packages

dotnet add package GitHub.Copilot.SDK --version 0.1.23
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.AI
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console

3. Minimal Program.cs

using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;

using var loggerFactory = LoggerFactory.Create(b =>
    b.AddConsole().SetMinimumLevel(LogLevel.Warning));
var logger = loggerFactory.CreateLogger<CopilotClient>();

// 1. Create the client
var client = new CopilotClient(new CopilotClientOptions
{
    UseLoggedInUser = true,   // Use VS Code / gh CLI logged-in user
    Logger = logger
});

// 2. Start
await client.StartAsync();
Console.WriteLine($"State: {client.State}");

// 3. Create a session and ask a question
await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Model = "gpt-4o"
});

var answer = await session.SendAndWaitAsync(
    new MessageOptions { Prompt = "What is the capital of France?" });
Console.WriteLine($"Answer: {answer?.Data.Content}");

// 4. Cleanup
await client.StopAsync();
await client.DisposeAsync();

4. Run

dotnet run

Prerequisite: You must be logged in to GitHub via VS Code or gh auth login.


Project Structure (.csproj)

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="GitHub.Copilot.SDK" Version="0.1.23" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.AI" Version="*" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console" Version="*" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Core Concepts

1. CopilotClient — The Entry Point

CopilotClient manages the underlying Copilot process (Stdio transport), authentication, and model discovery. You must start it before creating any sessions.

var client = new CopilotClient(new CopilotClientOptions
{
    UseLoggedInUser = true,          // Use VS Code / gh CLI auth
    // GithubToken = "ghp_...",       // Or use a PAT directly
    // CliPath = "/path/to/copilot",  // Custom CLI binary path
    Logger = logger
});

Client Lifecycle

Created → Starting → Running → Stopping → Stopped
                                  ↑ ForceStop (immediate)
Method Purpose
StartAsync() Start the Copilot process, establish connection
PingAsync(message) Verify the connection is alive
GetStatusAsync() Get version and protocol version
GetAuthStatusAsync() Check auth type and authentication status
ListModelsAsync() List all available models with capabilities
StopAsync() Graceful shutdown — waits for cleanup
ForceStopAsync() Hard kill — skips cleanup
DisposeAsync() Release all resources (always call after stop)

Authentication Options

Option How
VS Code logged-in user Set UseLoggedInUser = true (default). Requires being logged into GitHub in VS Code or via gh auth login.
GitHub Personal Access Token Set GithubToken = "ghp_...". Overrides UseLoggedInUser.
Custom CLI path Set CliPath to point to a custom Copilot CLI binary.

Listing Models

var models = await client.ListModelsAsync();
foreach (var m in models)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{m.Id,-35} {m.Name,-25} {m.Capabilities}");
}

2. CopilotSession — Stateful Conversations

A session represents a single conversation. Sessions are stateful — the model remembers all previous messages.

await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Model = "gpt-4o",        // Which model to use
    Streaming = true,         // Enable streaming deltas
});

SessionConfig Properties

Property Type Description
Model string Model ID (e.g., "gpt-4o", "claude-sonnet-4")
Streaming bool Enable AssistantMessageDeltaEvent streaming
Tools List<AIFunction> Custom tools the model can call
SystemMessage SystemMessageConfig Custom system prompt (Append or Replace)
Hooks SessionHooks Pre/post tool-use hooks
OnPermissionRequest Func<...> Permission handler for write/run operations
OnUserInputRequest Func<...> Handler when the model asks the user a question
InfiniteSessions InfiniteSessionConfig Enable context compaction for long conversations
SkillDirectories List<string> Directories containing SKILL.md files
DisabledSkills List<string> Skills to disable by name
AvailableTools List<string> Allowlist of built-in tool names
ExcludedTools List<string> Denylist of built-in tool names
McpServers Dictionary<string, object> MCP server configurations
CustomAgents List<CustomAgentConfig> Custom agent configurations

Sending Messages

Method Behavior
SendAsync(options) Fire-and-forget — returns a message ID immediately. Response arrives via events.
SendAndWaitAsync(options) Blocks until the model finishes (SessionIdleEvent). Returns the final AssistantMessageEvent.
// Fire-and-forget
var messageId = await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions { Prompt = "Hello" });

// Blocking
var reply = await session.SendAndWaitAsync(new MessageOptions { Prompt = "Hello" });
Console.WriteLine(reply?.Data.Content);

Event Subscription

Subscribe to all session events using session.On():

var subscription = session.On(evt =>
{
    switch (evt)
    {
        case AssistantMessageDeltaEvent delta:
            Console.Write(delta.Data.DeltaContent);    // streaming token
            break;
        case AssistantMessageEvent message:
            // Complete message
            break;
        case SessionIdleEvent:
            // Model's turn is complete
            break;
        case SessionErrorEvent error:
            Console.WriteLine($"Error: {error.Data?.Message}");
            break;
    }
});

// Later: unsubscribe
subscription.Dispose();

Event Types

Event When
AssistantMessageDeltaEvent Individual streaming token (when Streaming = true)
AssistantMessageEvent Model produces a complete message
SessionIdleEvent Model’s turn is complete
SessionErrorEvent An error occurred during the turn
SessionResumeEvent Session was resumed via ResumeSessionAsync
SessionCompactionStartEvent Context compaction started (infinite sessions)
SessionCompactionCompleteEvent Context compaction finished

Session Resume

You can reconnect to a previous session to continue the conversation:

// Create and use a session
var session1 = await client.CreateSessionAsync();
var sessionId = session1.SessionId;
await session1.SendAndWaitAsync(new MessageOptions { Prompt = "Remember: 42" });

// Resume later
var session2 = await client.ResumeSessionAsync(sessionId);
var answer = await session2.SendAndWaitAsync(
    new MessageOptions { Prompt = "What number did I mention?" });
// → "42"

System Messages

Configure a system prompt to control model behavior:

// Append mode — adds after the default Copilot system prompt
new SessionConfig
{
    SystemMessage = new SystemMessageConfig
    {
        Mode = SystemMessageMode.Append,
        Content = "Always end responses with 'Have a nice day!'"
    }
}

// Replace mode — completely overrides the system prompt
new SessionConfig
{
    SystemMessage = new SystemMessageConfig
    {
        Mode = SystemMessageMode.Replace,
        Content = "You are an assistant called Testy McTestface. Reply succinctly."
    }
}
Mode Behavior
Append Your content is added after the default Copilot system prompt
Replace Your content completely replaces the default system prompt

3. Custom Tools — AIFunction

Tools extend the model’s capabilities by letting it call your C# code. The SDK uses Microsoft.Extensions.AI‘s AIFunctionFactory.Create to turn regular methods into callable tools.

How Tools Work

  You (host)                     Copilot Model
  ──────────                     ────────────
  Register tools on session  →   Model sees tool schemas
  Send prompt                →   Model processes prompt
                             ←   Model calls tool (tool_use event)
  SDK executes your C# code
  SDK returns result         →   Model incorporates result
                             ←   Model sends final response

Simple Tool

[Description("Encrypts a string by converting it to uppercase")]
static string EncryptString([Description("String to encrypt")] string input)
    => input.ToUpperInvariant();

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Tools = [AIFunctionFactory.Create(EncryptString, "encrypt_string")]
});

var answer = await session.SendAndWaitAsync(
    new MessageOptions { Prompt = "Encrypt: Hello World" });
// Tool is called automatically, response includes "HELLO WORLD"

Key pattern: Use [Description] on the method and on each parameter. Supply (method, name) to AIFunctionFactory.Create.

Multiple Tools on One Session

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Tools =
    [
        AIFunctionFactory.Create(GetWeather, "get_weather"),
        AIFunctionFactory.Create(GetTime, "get_time"),
    ]
});

[Description("Gets the current weather for a city")]
static string GetWeather([Description("City name")] string city)
    => $"Weather in {city}: 22°C, partly cloudy";

[Description("Gets the current time for a city")]
static string GetTime([Description("City name")] string city)
    => $"Current time in {city}: {DateTime.UtcNow:HH:mm} UTC";

Complex Input/Output Types

Use C# records for structured input and output. Add a JsonSerializerContext for NativeAOT safety:

record DbQueryOptions(string Table, int[] Ids, bool SortAscending);
record City(int CountryId, string CityName, int Population);

[JsonSourceGenerationOptions(JsonSerializerDefaults.Web)]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(DbQueryOptions))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(City[]))]
partial class DemoJsonContext : JsonSerializerContext;

City[] PerformDbQuery(DbQueryOptions query, AIFunctionArguments rawArgs)
{
    // Access ToolInvocation metadata
    var invocation = (ToolInvocation)rawArgs.Context![typeof(ToolInvocation)]!;
    // invocation.SessionId, invocation.ToolCallId, etc.
    return [new(1, "Madrid", 3223000)];
}

var tool = AIFunctionFactory.Create(PerformDbQuery, "db_query",
    serializerOptions: DemoJsonContext.Default.Options);

Tool Error Handling

When a tool throws an exception, the SDK catches it and does NOT leak the error message to the model. The model only sees a generic failure:

var failingTool = AIFunctionFactory.Create(
    () => { throw new Exception("Secret error"); },
    "get_location",
    "Gets the user's location");

// Model will NOT see "Secret error" — safe by default

AvailableTools / ExcludedTools Filters

Control which built-in Copilot tools are available in the session:

// Allowlist — only these built-in tools
new SessionConfig { AvailableTools = ["view", "edit"] }

// Denylist — exclude these built-in tools
new SessionConfig { ExcludedTools = ["view"] }

4. Hooks — Pre/Post Tool-Use Interception

Hooks let you intercept tool calls before and after execution:

PreToolUse Hook — Allow or Deny

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Tools = [myTool],
    Hooks = new SessionHooks
    {
        OnPreToolUse = (input, invocation) =>
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Tool: {input.ToolName}, Session: {invocation.SessionId}");
            // Return "allow" or "deny"
            return Task.FromResult<PreToolUseHookOutput?>(
                new PreToolUseHookOutput { PermissionDecision = "allow" });
        }
    }
});

PostToolUse Hook — Inspect Results

Hooks = new SessionHooks
{
    OnPostToolUse = (input, invocation) =>
    {
        var result = input.ToolResult?.ToString();
        Console.WriteLine($"Tool {input.ToolName} returned: {result}");
        return Task.FromResult<PostToolUseHookOutput?>(null);
    }
}

Both Hooks Together

Hooks = new SessionHooks
{
    OnPreToolUse = (input, invocation) =>
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"[PRE]  → {input.ToolName}");
        return Task.FromResult<PreToolUseHookOutput?>(
            new PreToolUseHookOutput { PermissionDecision = "allow" });
    },
    OnPostToolUse = (input, invocation) =>
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"[POST] ← {input.ToolName}");
        return Task.FromResult<PostToolUseHookOutput?>(null);
    }
}

Deny Tool Execution

OnPreToolUse = (input, invocation) =>
{
    return Task.FromResult<PreToolUseHookOutput?>(
        new PreToolUseHookOutput { PermissionDecision = "deny" });
}
// The model will explain it couldn't access the tool

5. Permissions — Write/Run Authorization

Permission handlers control whether the model can perform write operations (file edits, command execution):

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    OnPermissionRequest = (request, invocation) =>
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Permission: Kind={request.Kind}, ToolCallId={request.ToolCallId}");
        // Return "approved" or "denied-interactively-by-user"
        return Task.FromResult(new PermissionRequestResult { Kind = "approved" });
    }
});

Permission Result Values

Kind Effect
"approved" Allow the operation
"denied-interactively-by-user" Block the operation

Key behaviors:
– If no OnPermissionRequest handler is set, the session works normally — permissions are only triggered for write/run operations.
– If the handler throws an exception, the SDK handles it gracefully — permission is denied automatically.
– Permission handlers can be set on ResumeSessionConfig too, so resumed sessions can have different permission policies.


6. User Input Requests — Model Asks the User

The model can ask the user questions via the ask_user built-in tool. You handle these with OnUserInputRequest:

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    OnUserInputRequest = (request, invocation) =>
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Question: {request.Question}");

        // Choice-based prompt
        if (request.Choices is { Count: > 0 })
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Choices: [{string.Join(", ", request.Choices)}]");
            return Task.FromResult(new UserInputResponse
            {
                Answer = request.Choices[0],   // Auto-select first
                WasFreeform = false
            });
        }

        // Freeform input
        return Task.FromResult(new UserInputResponse
        {
            Answer = "My answer",
            WasFreeform = true
        });
    }
});

UserInputRequest Properties

Property Type Description
Question string The question the model is asking
Choices List<string>? Optional choices for the user (if null, freeform input)

UserInputResponse Properties

Property Type Description
Answer string The user’s answer
WasFreeform bool Whether the answer was typed freely vs. selected from choices

7. Infinite Sessions & Context Compaction

For long conversations, enable infinite sessions to automatically compact the context when it gets too large:

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    InfiniteSessions = new InfiniteSessionConfig
    {
        Enabled = true,
        BackgroundCompactionThreshold = 0.005,  // 0.5% → start background compaction
        BufferExhaustionThreshold = 0.01         // 1%   → block and compact
    }
});

Compaction Events

Subscribe to compaction events to monitor when context is being compacted:

session.On(evt =>
{
    if (evt is SessionCompactionStartEvent)
        Console.WriteLine("Compaction started!");
    if (evt is SessionCompactionCompleteEvent c)
        Console.WriteLine($"Compaction done: removed {c.Data.TokensRemoved} tokens, success={c.Data.Success}");
});

Key behavior: The model summarizes earlier messages and removes old tokens. After compaction, the session continues to work — context is preserved via the summary.


8. Skills — SKILL.md Files

Skills shape model behavior by loading instruction files from directories:

SKILL.md Format

---
name: my-skill
description: A skill that adds custom behavior
---

# My Skill Instructions

Always respond in formal English.
Include a table of contents in long answers.

Each skill lives in its own subdirectory with a SKILL.md file:

skills-dir/
  my-skill/
    SKILL.md
  another-skill/
    SKILL.md

Loading Skills

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    SkillDirectories = ["/path/to/skills-dir"]
});

Disabling Skills

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    SkillDirectories = ["/path/to/skills-dir"],
    DisabledSkills = ["my-skill"]   // Disable by name from frontmatter
});

9. MCP Servers — Model Context Protocol

Configure MCP servers that provide additional tools to the session:

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    McpServers = new Dictionary<string, object>
    {
        ["my-server"] = new McpLocalServerConfig
        {
            Type = "local",
            Command = "npx",
            Args = ["-y", "@my-org/mcp-server"],
            Tools = ["*"]   // Expose all tools from this server
        }
    }
});

McpLocalServerConfig Properties

Property Type Description
Type string Server type — typically "local"
Command string Command to start the MCP server
Args List<string> Arguments for the command
Tools List<string> Which tools to expose (["*"] for all)

Multiple MCP Servers

McpServers = new Dictionary<string, object>
{
    ["filesystem-server"] = new McpLocalServerConfig { ... },
    ["database-server"] = new McpLocalServerConfig { ... }
}

10. Custom Agents

Configure custom agents with their own prompts, tools, and MCP servers:

var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    CustomAgents = new List<CustomAgentConfig>
    {
        new CustomAgentConfig
        {
            Name = "business-analyst",
            DisplayName = "Business Analyst Agent",
            Description = "Specialized in business analysis",
            Prompt = "You are a business analyst. Focus on data-driven insights.",
            Infer = true   // Model decides when to use this agent
        }
    }
});

CustomAgentConfig Properties

Property Type Description
Name string Unique agent identifier
DisplayName string Human-readable name
Description string What the agent does
Prompt string System instructions for the agent
Tools List<string>? Restricted tool set (e.g., ["bash", "edit"])
McpServers Dictionary<string, object>? Agent-specific MCP servers
Infer bool If true, model decides when to invoke the agent

Agent with Restricted Tools

new CustomAgentConfig
{
    Name = "devops-agent",
    Tools = ["bash", "edit"],   // Only these tools available
    Infer = true
}

Agent with its Own MCP Servers

new CustomAgentConfig
{
    Name = "data-agent",
    McpServers = new Dictionary<string, object>
    {
        ["agent-db"] = new McpLocalServerConfig
        {
            Type = "local",
            Command = "npx",
            Args = ["-y", "@my-org/db-server"],
            Tools = ["*"]
        }
    }
}

Combined MCP + Agents

new SessionConfig
{
    McpServers = new Dictionary<string, object>
    {
        ["shared-server"] = new McpLocalServerConfig { ... }
    },
    CustomAgents = new List<CustomAgentConfig>
    {
        new CustomAgentConfig { Name = "coordinator", ... }
    }
}

MCP & Agents on Session Resume

MCP servers and agents can be added when resuming a session:

var session2 = await client.ResumeSessionAsync(sessionId, new ResumeSessionConfig
{
    McpServers = new Dictionary<string, object>
    {
        ["resume-server"] = new McpLocalServerConfig { ... }
    },
    CustomAgents = new List<CustomAgentConfig>
    {
        new CustomAgentConfig { Name = "resume-agent", ... }
    }
});

The IChatClient Adapter Pattern

The GitHub Copilot SDK uses its own CopilotClientCopilotSession → events model. To make it compatible with Microsoft.Extensions.AI.IChatClient (which DevExpress DxAIChat, AIChatControl, and other UI components consume), you need an adapter layer.

Architecture

[[[MERMAIDBLOCK1]]]

Step 1 — CopilotOptions

A simple options class bound to appsettings.json:

public sealed class CopilotOptions
{
    public const string SectionName = "Copilot";

    public string Model { get; set; } = "gpt-4o";
    public string? GithubToken { get; set; }
    public string? CliPath { get; set; }
    public bool UseLoggedInUser { get; set; } = true;
    public bool Streaming { get; set; } = true;
}

appsettings.json:

{
  "Copilot": {
    "Model": "gpt-4o",
    "UseLoggedInUser": true
  }
}

Step 2 — CopilotChatService

Wraps CopilotClient with lazy initialization, session creation per request, event-driven response collection, tool wiring, and system message support:

public sealed class CopilotChatService : IAsyncDisposable
{
    private readonly CopilotClient _client;
    private readonly CopilotOptions _options;
    private readonly ILogger<CopilotChatService> _logger;
    private readonly SemaphoreSlim _startLock = new(1, 1);
    private bool _started;

    /// <summary>Runtime-changeable model selection.</summary>
    public string CurrentModel
    {
        get => _options.Model;
        set => _options.Model = value;
    }

    /// <summary>Custom tools exposed to the Copilot SDK.</summary>
    public IReadOnlyList<AIFunction>? Tools { get; set; }

    /// <summary>Optional system message appended to the session.</summary>
    public string? SystemMessage { get; set; }

    public CopilotChatService(
        IOptions<CopilotOptions> optionsAccessor,
        ILogger<CopilotChatService> logger)
    {
        _options = optionsAccessor?.Value ?? new CopilotOptions();
        _logger = logger;
        _client = new CopilotClient(new CopilotClientOptions
        {
            CliPath = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_options.CliPath) ? null : _options.CliPath,
            GithubToken = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_options.GithubToken) ? null : _options.GithubToken,
            UseLoggedInUser = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_options.GithubToken)
                              && _options.UseLoggedInUser,
            Logger = logger
        });
    }

    private async Task EnsureStartedAsync()
    {
        if (_started) return;
        await _startLock.WaitAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
        try
        {
            if (_started) return;
            await _client.StartAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
            _started = true;
        }
        finally { _startLock.Release(); }
    }

    public async Task<string> AskAsync(
        string prompt, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
    {
        ArgumentException.ThrowIfNullOrWhiteSpace(prompt);
        await EnsureStartedAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);

        // ── Build session config ──────────────────────────────
        var config = new SessionConfig
        {
            Model = _options.Model,
            Streaming = true,
        };
        if (Tools is { Count: > 0 })
            config.Tools = Tools.ToList();
        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SystemMessage))
            config.SystemMessage = new SystemMessageConfig
            {
                Mode = SystemMessageMode.Append,
                Content = SystemMessage
            };

        // ── Create session, send, collect via events ──────────
        await using var session = await _client
            .CreateSessionAsync(config).ConfigureAwait(false);

        var buffer = new StringBuilder();
        string? lastError = null;
        var idleTcs = new TaskCompletionSource<bool>(
            TaskCreationOptions.RunContinuationsAsynchronously);

        var subscription = session.On(evt =>
        {
            switch (evt)
            {
                case AssistantMessageDeltaEvent delta:
                    buffer.Append(delta.Data.DeltaContent);
                    break;
                case SessionErrorEvent error:
                    lastError = error.Data?.Message ?? "Unknown session error";
                    _logger.LogError("[SessionError] {Message}", lastError);
                    idleTcs.TrySetResult(false);
                    break;
                case SessionIdleEvent:
                    idleTcs.TrySetResult(true);
                    break;
            }
        });

        try
        {
            using var cts = CancellationTokenSource
                .CreateLinkedTokenSource(cancellationToken);
            cts.CancelAfter(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(2));

            try
            {
                await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions { Prompt = prompt })
                    .WaitAsync(cts.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
                await idleTcs.Task.WaitAsync(cts.Token).ConfigureAwait(false);
            }
            catch (OperationCanceledException)
                when (!cancellationToken.IsCancellationRequested)
            {
                _logger.LogWarning("[AskAsync] Timed out. Buffer: {Len}", buffer.Length);
            }

            if (buffer.Length > 0)
                return buffer.ToString();
            if (lastError != null)
                return $"Error: {lastError}";
            return "No response received from the AI model. Please try again.";
        }
        finally { subscription.Dispose(); }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Streams response deltas. In SDK v0.1.x, true delta streaming
    /// through session events is unreliable when tool calls are involved,
    /// so this yields the complete response as a single chunk.
    /// </summary>
    public async IAsyncEnumerable<string> AskStreamingAsync(
        string prompt,
        [EnumeratorCancellation] CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
    {
        var response = await AskAsync(prompt, cancellationToken)
            .ConfigureAwait(false);
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(response))
            yield return response;
    }

    public async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
    {
        if (_started)
        {
            try { await _client.StopAsync().ConfigureAwait(false); }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                _logger.LogWarning(ex, "Failed to stop Copilot client cleanly.");
            }
        }
        await _client.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
        _startLock.Dispose();
    }
}

Key design decisions:

  • Lazy start: EnsureStartedAsync() uses a SemaphoreSlim to start the client on first use.
  • Session-per-request: Each AskAsync call creates a new session. This is stateless from the consumer’s perspective (the IChatClient contract is stateless).
  • Event-driven collection: Uses session.On() to accumulate AssistantMessageDeltaEvent tokens into a StringBuilder, then waits for SessionIdleEvent.
  • 2-minute timeout: Prevents hanging on unresponsive models.

Step 3 — CopilotChatClient (IChatClient Adapter)

Wraps CopilotChatService as an IChatClient so any consumer (DevExpress DxAIChat, AIChatControl, etc.) can use it via DI:

public sealed class CopilotChatClient : IChatClient
{
    private readonly CopilotChatService _service;

    public CopilotChatClient(CopilotChatService service)
    {
        _service = service ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(service));
    }

    public ChatClientMetadata Metadata => new("CopilotChat");

    public async Task<ChatResponse> GetResponseAsync(
        IEnumerable<ChatMessage> chatMessages,
        ChatOptions? options = null,
        CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
    {
        // Extract the last user message as the prompt
        var lastUserMessage = chatMessages
            .LastOrDefault(m => m.Role == ChatRole.User);
        var prompt = lastUserMessage?.Text ?? string.Empty;

        var response = await _service.AskAsync(prompt, cancellationToken);
        return new ChatResponse(new ChatMessage(ChatRole.Assistant, response));
    }

    public async IAsyncEnumerable<ChatResponseUpdate> GetStreamingResponseAsync(
        IEnumerable<ChatMessage> chatMessages,
        ChatOptions? options = null,
        [EnumeratorCancellation] CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
    {
        var lastUserMessage = chatMessages
            .LastOrDefault(m => m.Role == ChatRole.User);
        var prompt = lastUserMessage?.Text ?? string.Empty;

        await foreach (var chunk in _service
            .AskStreamingAsync(prompt, cancellationToken)
            .ConfigureAwait(false))
        {
            yield return new ChatResponseUpdate
            {
                Role = ChatRole.Assistant,
                Contents = [new TextContent(chunk)]
            };
        }
    }

    public object? GetService(Type serviceType, object? serviceKey = null)
        => serviceType == typeof(CopilotChatClient) ? this : null;

    public void Dispose() { }
}

Key pattern: The adapter extracts the last user message’s text as the prompt, delegates to CopilotChatService, and wraps the result in ChatResponse / ChatResponseUpdate objects.

Step 4 — Tools Provider

Encapsulates AIFunction creation. The tools are created lazily and shared across requests:

public sealed class MyToolsProvider
{
    private readonly IServiceProvider _serviceProvider;
    private List<AIFunction>? _tools;

    public MyToolsProvider(IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
    {
        _serviceProvider = serviceProvider;
    }

    public IReadOnlyList<AIFunction> Tools => _tools ??= CreateTools();

    private List<AIFunction> CreateTools() =>
    [
        AIFunctionFactory.Create(GetWeather, "get_weather"),
        AIFunctionFactory.Create(GetTime, "get_time"),
        AIFunctionFactory.Create(QueryDatabase, "query_database"),
    ];

    [Description("Gets the current weather for a city")]
    private string GetWeather(
        [Description("City name")] string city)
        => $"Weather in {city}: 22°C, partly cloudy";

    [Description("Gets the current time for a city")]
    private string GetTime(
        [Description("City name")] string city)
        => $"Current time in {city}: {DateTime.UtcNow:HH:mm} UTC";

    [Description("Queries the database for records")]
    private string QueryDatabase(
        [Description("Table name")] string table,
        [Description("Search term")] string search = "")
    {
        // Use DI to get a DbContext, IObjectSpace, etc.
        using var scope = _serviceProvider.CreateScope();
        var db = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<MyDbContext>();
        // ... query and return results as string
        return "Query results...";
    }
}

Key pattern for database access: Create a DI scope inside each tool method, resolve the database context, query, and return a plain string. The SDK serializes the return value automatically.

Step 5 — DI Registration (AddCopilotSdk Extension)

Wire everything together with a single extension method:

public static class ServiceCollectionExtensions
{
    public static IServiceCollection AddCopilotSdk(
        this IServiceCollection services,
        IConfiguration configuration)
    {
        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(services);
        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(configuration);

        // 1. Bind options from appsettings.json
        services.Configure<CopilotOptions>(
            configuration.GetSection(CopilotOptions.SectionName));

        // 2. Register the service (singleton — manages CopilotClient lifecycle)
        services.AddSingleton<CopilotChatService>();

        // 3. Register the tools provider
        services.AddSingleton<MyToolsProvider>();

        // 4. Register the IChatClient adapter
        services.AddChatClient(sp =>
        {
            var service = sp.GetRequiredService<CopilotChatService>();
            var toolsProvider = sp.GetRequiredService<MyToolsProvider>();

            // Wire tools and system message into the service
            service.Tools = toolsProvider.Tools;
            service.SystemMessage = "You are a helpful assistant.";

            return new CopilotChatClient(service);
        });

        return services;
    }
}

Step 6 — Usage in Program.cs

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// Register all Copilot SDK services + IChatClient
builder.Services.AddCopilotSdk(builder.Configuration);

// ... rest of your app setup
var app = builder.Build();
app.Run();

Now any component that depends on IChatClient will automatically use the GitHub Copilot SDK as its backend.


Markdown Rendering (Optional)

If your chat UI renders Markdown responses as HTML, use Markdig + HtmlSanitizer:

public static class CopilotChatDefaults
{
    private static readonly MarkdownPipeline Pipeline = new MarkdownPipelineBuilder()
        .UsePipeTables()
        .UseEmphasisExtras()
        .UseAutoLinks()
        .UseTaskLists()
        .Build();

    private static readonly HtmlSanitizer Sanitizer = CreateSanitizer();

    private static HtmlSanitizer CreateSanitizer()
    {
        var sanitizer = new HtmlSanitizer();
        foreach (var tag in new[] { "table", "thead", "tbody", "tr", "th", "td" })
            sanitizer.AllowedTags.Add(tag);
        return sanitizer;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Converts Markdown to sanitized HTML. Thread-safe.
    /// </summary>
    public static string ConvertMarkdownToHtml(string markdown)
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(markdown))
            return string.Empty;

        var html = Markdown.ToHtml(markdown, Pipeline);
        return Sanitizer.Sanitize(html);
    }
}

Packages required:

dotnet add package Markdig --version "0.38.*"
dotnet add package HtmlSanitizer --version "8.*"

UI Defaults — Header, Empty State, Prompt Suggestions

Centralize your chat UI configuration in a static class so both Blazor and WinForms can share it:

public static class CopilotChatDefaults
{
    public const string HeaderText = "Copilot Assistant";

    public const string EmptyStateText =
        "Ask me anything about your data.\nPowered by GitHub Copilot SDK.";

    public record PromptSuggestionItem(string Title, string Text, string Prompt);

    public static IReadOnlyList<PromptSuggestionItem> PromptSuggestions { get; } =
    [
        new("Weather", "Check the weather", "What's the weather in Madrid?"),
        new("Time", "Check the time", "What time is it in Tokyo?"),
        new("Help", "What can you do?", "What tools do you have available?"),
    ];

    public const string SystemPrompt = """
        You are a helpful assistant.
        When answering:
        - Use Markdown formatting.
        - Be concise but thorough.
        """;

    // ... ConvertMarkdownToHtml (see above)
}

Streaming Pattern — Interactive Console Chat

Build an interactive chat loop using SendAsync + event subscription for real-time streaming:

var client = new CopilotClient(new CopilotClientOptions
{
    UseLoggedInUser = true,
    Logger = logger
});
await client.StartAsync();

await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig
{
    Streaming = true,
    Tools =
    [
        AIFunctionFactory.Create(GetWeather, "get_weather"),
        AIFunctionFactory.Create(GetTime, "get_time"),
    ]
});

Console.WriteLine("Type messages (empty to quit):\n");
while (true)
{
    Console.Write("You: ");
    var input = Console.ReadLine();
    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(input)) break;

    var done = new TaskCompletionSource<bool>();
    var sub = session.On(evt =>
    {
        if (evt is AssistantMessageDeltaEvent d)
            Console.Write(d.Data.DeltaContent);
        if (evt is SessionIdleEvent)
            done.TrySetResult(true);
        if (evt is SessionErrorEvent err)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"\nError: {err.Data?.Message}");
            done.TrySetResult(false);
        }
    });

    Console.Write("AI: ");
    await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions { Prompt = input });
    await done.Task.WaitAsync(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(2));
    Console.WriteLine();
    sub.Dispose();
}

await client.StopAsync();
await client.DisposeAsync();

Blazor Integration Example

A complete Blazor Server app using the IChatClient adapter with DevExpress DxAIChat:

Program.cs

using MyApp.Services;
using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

// EF Core (optional — for tool database access)
builder.Services.AddDbContextFactory<MyDbContext>(options =>
    options.UseSqlite("Data Source=app.db"));

// GitHub Copilot SDK → IChatClient
builder.Services.AddCopilotSdk(builder.Configuration);

// DevExpress AI integration (registers DxAIChat component)
builder.Services.AddDevExpressAI();

// Blazor
builder.Services.AddRazorComponents()
    .AddInteractiveServerComponents();

var app = builder.Build();

app.UseHttpsRedirection();
app.UseStaticFiles();
app.UseAntiforgery();
app.MapRazorComponents<App>()
    .AddInteractiveServerRenderMode();

app.Run();

Chat.razor (using DxAIChat)

@using DevExpress.AIIntegration.Blazor.Chat
@using MyApp.Services

<DxAIChat CssClass="copilot-chat"
          Streaming="true"
          RenderMode="MarkupContentRenderMode.Sanitized"
          MessageContentConverting="OnMessageContentConverting"
          ResponseContentType="ResponseContentType.Markdown">
    <EmptyStateContentTemplate>
        <div class="chat-empty-state">
            <h3>@CopilotChatDefaults.HeaderText</h3>
            <p>@CopilotChatDefaults.EmptyStateText</p>
        </div>
    </EmptyStateContentTemplate>
    <MessageContentTemplate>
        <div class="chat-message">@((MarkupString)context.Content)</div>
    </MessageContentTemplate>
</DxAIChat>

@code {
    private void OnMessageContentConverting(MessageContentConvertingEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.Role == ChatRole.Assistant)
        {
            e.Content = CopilotChatDefaults.ConvertMarkdownToHtml(e.Content);
        }
    }
}

The DxAIChat component resolves IChatClient from DI automatically — no explicit wiring required.


Configuration Reference

appsettings.json

{
  "Copilot": {
    "Model": "gpt-4o",
    "UseLoggedInUser": true,
    "Streaming": true
  }
}

CopilotOptions Properties

Property Type Default Description
Model string "gpt-4o" The model to use for new sessions
GithubToken string? null GitHub PAT. Overrides UseLoggedInUser
CliPath string? null Custom path to the Copilot CLI binary
UseLoggedInUser bool true Use VS Code / gh CLI authentication
Streaming bool true Enable streaming deltas

Runtime Model Switching

var service = serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<CopilotChatService>();
service.CurrentModel = "claude-sonnet-4";
// Next AskAsync call will use Claude

Troubleshooting

1. “Error: Not authenticated”

Cause: The Copilot CLI cannot find valid GitHub credentials.

Fix:
– Log in via VS Code (GitHub extension) or run gh auth login in your terminal.
– Or set GithubToken in CopilotOptions / appsettings.json.

2. The client hangs on StartAsync()

Cause: The Copilot CLI binary is not found or not in PATH.

Fix:
– Ensure GitHub Copilot CLI is installed. Check with which github-copilot-cli or where github-copilot-cli.
– Or set CliPath in CopilotOptions to the full path.
– Try ForceStopAsync() if StopAsync() hangs.

3. Tool calls are not returned in streaming

Cause: In SDK v0.1.x, true delta streaming through session events is unreliable when tool calls are involved.

Fix: The AskStreamingAsync method in CopilotChatService uses AskAsync under the hood and yields the complete response as a single chunk. This guarantees tool-call results are included.

4. IOException when using a disposed session

Cause: You called a method on a session after DisposeAsync().

Fix: Use await using to ensure proper scope, or check session state before calling methods.

5. Permission handler exceptions

Cause: Your OnPermissionRequest handler threw an exception.

Behavior: The SDK handles the exception gracefully — permission is denied automatically. The session continues to work.

6. “No response received from the AI model”

Cause: The 2-minute timeout elapsed before the model responded, or there was a network issue.

Fix:
– Increase the timeout in AskAsync if needed.
– Check your network connection.
– Verify the model is available via ListModelsAsync().

7. NativeAOT serialization errors with complex tool types

Cause: Using records/arrays as tool input/output without a JsonSerializerContext.

Fix: Create a JsonSerializerContext and pass it to AIFunctionFactory.Create:

[JsonSourceGenerationOptions(JsonSerializerDefaults.Web)]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(MyInputType))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(MyOutputType))]
partial class MyJsonContext : JsonSerializerContext;

var tool = AIFunctionFactory.Create(MyMethod, "my_tool",
    serializerOptions: MyJsonContext.Default.Options);

API Quick Reference

CopilotClient

Method Returns Description
StartAsync() Task Start the Copilot process
StopAsync() Task Graceful shutdown
ForceStopAsync() Task Hard kill
DisposeAsync() ValueTask Release resources
PingAsync(msg) PongResponse Verify connection
GetStatusAsync() StatusResponse Version info
GetAuthStatusAsync() AuthStatusResponse Auth status
ListModelsAsync() IList<Model> Available models
CreateSessionAsync(config) CopilotSession Create a session
ResumeSessionAsync(id, config?) CopilotSession Resume a session

CopilotSession

Method Returns Description
SendAsync(options) string Fire-and-forget send
SendAndWaitAsync(options) AssistantMessageEvent? Blocking send
On(handler) IDisposable Subscribe to events
GetMessagesAsync() IList<SessionEvent> Get message history
AbortAsync() Task Abort current turn
DisposeAsync() ValueTask Destroy session

SessionConfig

Property Type Description
Model string Model ID
Streaming bool Enable streaming
Tools List<AIFunction> Custom tools
SystemMessage SystemMessageConfig System prompt
Hooks SessionHooks Pre/post tool hooks
OnPermissionRequest Func<...> Permission handler
OnUserInputRequest Func<...> User input handler
InfiniteSessions InfiniteSessionConfig Compaction config
SkillDirectories List<string> Skill directories
DisabledSkills List<string> Disabled skills
AvailableTools List<string> Built-in tool allowlist
ExcludedTools List<string> Built-in tool denylist
McpServers Dictionary<string, object> MCP servers
CustomAgents List<CustomAgentConfig> Custom agents

IChatClient Adapter (CopilotChatClient)

Method Returns Description
GetResponseAsync(messages, options?, ct) ChatResponse Non-streaming response
GetStreamingResponseAsync(messages, options?, ct) IAsyncEnumerable<ChatResponseUpdate> Streaming response
GetService(type, key?) object? Service resolution
Dispose() void No-op (lifecycle managed by DI)

Complete Minimal Example — Console App with Tools and IChatClient

A standalone console app that demonstrates the full stack: CopilotClientCopilotChatServiceCopilotChatClient (IChatClient) → consumer.

Program.cs

using Microsoft.Extensions.AI;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Options;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using System.Text;
using GitHub.Copilot.SDK;

// ── DI Setup ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
var services = new ServiceCollection();
services.AddLogging(b => b.AddConsole().SetMinimumLevel(LogLevel.Warning));

// Configure options manually (no appsettings.json in console)
services.Configure<CopilotOptions>(o =>
{
    o.Model = "gpt-4o";
    o.UseLoggedInUser = true;
});

services.AddSingleton<CopilotChatService>();

// Register IChatClient via the adapter
services.AddSingleton<IChatClient>(sp =>
{
    var svc = sp.GetRequiredService<CopilotChatService>();

    // Wire tools
    svc.Tools =
    [
        AIFunctionFactory.Create(GetWeather, "get_weather"),
        AIFunctionFactory.Create(GetTime, "get_time"),
    ];
    svc.SystemMessage = "You are a helpful assistant. Use Markdown formatting.";

    return new CopilotChatClient(svc);
});

var provider = services.BuildServiceProvider();

// ── Use IChatClient ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
var chatClient = provider.GetRequiredService<IChatClient>();

var messages = new List<ChatMessage>
{
    new(ChatRole.User, "What's the weather in Tokyo and what time is it?")
};

var response = await chatClient.GetResponseAsync(messages);
Console.WriteLine($"Response: {response.Message.Text}");

// ── Cleanup ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
await provider.DisposeAsync();

// ── Tool implementations ──────────────────────────────────────────────
[Description("Gets the current weather for a city")]
static string GetWeather([Description("City name")] string city)
    => $"Weather in {city}: 22°C, partly cloudy, humidity 65%";

[Description("Gets the current time for a city")]
static string GetTime([Description("City name")] string city)
    => $"Current time in {city}: {DateTime.UtcNow:HH:mm} UTC";

// ── Supporting classes (normally in separate files) ────────────────────

public sealed class CopilotOptions
{
    public const string SectionName = "Copilot";
    public string Model { get; set; } = "gpt-4o";
    public string? GithubToken { get; set; }
    public string? CliPath { get; set; }
    public bool UseLoggedInUser { get; set; } = true;
    public bool Streaming { get; set; } = true;
}

public sealed class CopilotChatService : IAsyncDisposable
{
    private readonly CopilotClient _client;
    private readonly CopilotOptions _options;
    private readonly ILogger<CopilotChatService> _logger;
    private readonly SemaphoreSlim _startLock = new(1, 1);
    private bool _started;

    public string CurrentModel { get => _options.Model; set => _options.Model = value; }
    public IReadOnlyList<AIFunction>? Tools { get; set; }
    public string? SystemMessage { get; set; }

    public CopilotChatService(IOptions<CopilotOptions> opts, ILogger<CopilotChatService> logger)
    {
        _options = opts?.Value ?? new CopilotOptions();
        _logger = logger;
        _client = new CopilotClient(new CopilotClientOptions
        {
            CliPath = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_options.CliPath) ? null : _options.CliPath,
            GithubToken = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_options.GithubToken) ? null : _options.GithubToken,
            UseLoggedInUser = string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_options.GithubToken) && _options.UseLoggedInUser,
            Logger = logger
        });
    }

    private async Task EnsureStartedAsync()
    {
        if (_started) return;
        await _startLock.WaitAsync();
        try { if (!_started) { await _client.StartAsync(); _started = true; } }
        finally { _startLock.Release(); }
    }

    public async Task<string> AskAsync(string prompt, CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        await EnsureStartedAsync();
        var config = new SessionConfig { Model = _options.Model, Streaming = true };
        if (Tools is { Count: > 0 }) config.Tools = Tools.ToList();
        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(SystemMessage))
            config.SystemMessage = new SystemMessageConfig
            { Mode = SystemMessageMode.Append, Content = SystemMessage };

        await using var session = await _client.CreateSessionAsync(config);
        var buf = new StringBuilder();
        string? err = null;
        var idle = new TaskCompletionSource<bool>(TaskCreationOptions.RunContinuationsAsynchronously);
        var sub = session.On(e =>
        {
            if (e is AssistantMessageDeltaEvent d) buf.Append(d.Data.DeltaContent);
            if (e is SessionErrorEvent se) { err = se.Data?.Message; idle.TrySetResult(false); }
            if (e is SessionIdleEvent) idle.TrySetResult(true);
        });
        try
        {
            using var cts = CancellationTokenSource.CreateLinkedTokenSource(ct);
            cts.CancelAfter(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(2));
            await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions { Prompt = prompt }).WaitAsync(cts.Token);
            await idle.Task.WaitAsync(cts.Token);
        }
        catch (OperationCanceledException) when (!ct.IsCancellationRequested) { }
        finally { sub.Dispose(); }
        return buf.Length > 0 ? buf.ToString() : err ?? "No response.";
    }

    public async IAsyncEnumerable<string> AskStreamingAsync(
        string prompt, [EnumeratorCancellation] CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        var r = await AskAsync(prompt, ct);
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(r)) yield return r;
    }

    public async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
    {
        if (_started) try { await _client.StopAsync(); } catch { }
        await _client.DisposeAsync();
        _startLock.Dispose();
    }
}

public sealed class CopilotChatClient : IChatClient
{
    private readonly CopilotChatService _svc;
    public CopilotChatClient(CopilotChatService svc) => _svc = svc;
    public ChatClientMetadata Metadata => new("CopilotChat");

    public async Task<ChatResponse> GetResponseAsync(
        IEnumerable<ChatMessage> msgs, ChatOptions? opt = null, CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        var prompt = msgs.LastOrDefault(m => m.Role == ChatRole.User)?.Text ?? "";
        var resp = await _svc.AskAsync(prompt, ct);
        return new ChatResponse(new ChatMessage(ChatRole.Assistant, resp));
    }

    public async IAsyncEnumerable<ChatResponseUpdate> GetStreamingResponseAsync(
        IEnumerable<ChatMessage> msgs, ChatOptions? opt = null,
        [EnumeratorCancellation] CancellationToken ct = default)
    {
        var prompt = msgs.LastOrDefault(m => m.Role == ChatRole.User)?.Text ?? "";
        await foreach (var c in _svc.AskStreamingAsync(prompt, ct))
            yield return new ChatResponseUpdate
            { Role = ChatRole.Assistant, Contents = [new TextContent(c)] };
    }

    public object? GetService(Type t, object? k = null) => t == typeof(CopilotChatClient) ? this : null;
    public void Dispose() { }
}

File Layout Summary

For a clean separation into reusable files:

MyProject/
├── Program.cs                         ← Host setup + DI
├── appsettings.json                   ← Copilot configuration
├── MyProject.csproj                   ← Package references
└── Services/
    ├── CopilotOptions.cs              ← Options POCO
    ├── CopilotChatService.cs          ← CopilotClient lifecycle + AskAsync
    ├── CopilotChatClient.cs           ← IChatClient adapter
    ├── CopilotChatDefaults.cs         ← UI defaults + Markdown rendering
    ├── MyToolsProvider.cs             ← AIFunction tool factory
    └── ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs ← AddCopilotSdk() extension

Checklist — Common Failures

# Symptom Fix
1 Not authenticated Log in via gh auth login or set GithubToken
2 StartAsync hangs Copilot CLI not found — set CliPath or install CLI
3 Tool results missing from streamed response Use AskAsync (collects full response including tool-call results)
4 IOException on disposed session Use await using for session scope
5 Permission denied unexpectedly Check OnPermissionRequest handler — exceptions cause auto-deny
6 Skill not applied (marker missing) Verify SKILL.md path in SkillDirectories and skill name in frontmatter
7 IChatClient not resolved from DI Ensure AddChatClient() is called in AddCopilotSdk()
8 Model not available Call ListModelsAsync() to verify — model IDs are case-sensitive

References

 

Closing the Loop with AI (part 3): Moving the Human to the End of the Pipeline

Closing the Loop with AI (part 3): Moving the Human to the End of the Pipeline

My last two articles have been about one idea: closing the loop with AI.

Not “AI-assisted coding.” Not “AI that helps you write functions.”
I’m talking about something else entirely.

I’m talking about building systems where the agent writes the code, tests the code, evaluates the result,
fixes the code, and repeats — without me sitting in the middle acting like a tired QA engineer.

Because honestly, that middle position is the worst place to be.

You get exhausted. You lose objectivity. And eventually you look at the project and think:
everything here is garbage.

So the goal is simple:

Remove the human from the middle of the loop.

Place the human at the end of the loop.

The human should only confirm: “Is this what I asked for?”
Not manually test every button.

The Real Question: How Do You Close the Loop?

There isn’t a single answer. It depends on the technology stack and the type of application you’re building.
So far, I’ve been experimenting with three environments:

  • Console applications
  • Web applications
  • Windows Forms applications (still a work in progress)

Each one requires a slightly different strategy.

But the core principle is always the same:

The agent must be able to observe what it did.

If the agent cannot see logs, outputs, state, or results — the loop stays open.

Console Applications: The Easiest Loop to Close

Console apps are the simplest place to start.

My setup is minimal and extremely effective:

  • Serilog writing structured logs
  • Logs written to the file system
  • Output written to the console

Why both?

Because the agent (GitHub Copilot in VS Code) can run the app, read console output, inspect log files,
decide what to fix, and repeat.

No UI. No browser. No complex state.
Just input → execution → output → evaluation.

If you want to experiment with autonomous loops, start here. Console apps are the cleanest lab environment you’ll ever get.

Web Applications: Where Things Get Interesting

Web apps are more complex, but also more powerful.

My current toolset:

  • Serilog for structured logging
  • Logs written to filesystem
  • SQLite for loop-friendly database inspection
  • Playwright for automated UI testing

Even if production uses PostgreSQL or SQL Server, I use SQLite during loop testing.
Not for production. For iteration.

The SQLite CLI makes inspection trivial.
The agent can call the API, trigger workflows, query SQLite directly, verify results, and continue fixing.

That’s a full feedback loop. No human required.

Playwright: Giving the Agent Eyes

For UI testing, Playwright is the key.

You can run it headless (fully autonomous) or with UI visible (my preferred mode).

Yes, I could remove myself completely. But I don’t.
Right now I sit outside the loop as an observer.
Not a tester. Not a debugger. Just watching.

If something goes completely off the rails, I interrupt.
Otherwise, I let the loop run.

This is an important transition:

From participant → to observer.

The Windows Forms Problem

Now comes the tricky part: Windows Forms.

Console apps are easy. Web apps have Playwright.
But desktop UI automation is messy.

Possible directions I’m exploring:

  • UI Automation APIs
  • WinAppDriver
  • Logging + state inspection hybrid approach
  • Screenshot-based verification
  • Accessibility tree inspection

The goal remains the same: the agent must be able to verify what happened without me.

Once that happens, the loop closes.

What I’ve Learned So Far

1) Logs Are Everything

If the agent cannot read what happened, it cannot improve. Structured logs > pretty logs. Always.

2) SQLite Is the Perfect Loop Database

Not for production. For iteration. The ability to query state instantly from CLI makes autonomous debugging possible.

3) Agents Need Observability, Not Prompts

Most people focus on prompt engineering. I focus on observability engineering.
Give the agent visibility into logs, state, outputs, errors, and the database. Then iteration becomes natural.

4) Humans Should Validate Outcomes — Not Steps

The human should only answer: “Is this what I asked for?” That’s what the agent is for.

My Current Loop Architecture (Simplified)

Specification → Agent writes code → Agent runs app → Agent tests → Agent reads logs/db →
Agent fixes → Repeat → Human validates outcome

If the loop works, progress becomes exponential.
If the loop is broken, everything slows down.

My Question to You

This is still evolving. I’m refining the process daily, and I’m convinced this is how development will work from now on:
agents running closed feedback loops with humans validating outcomes at the end.

So I’m curious:

  • What tooling are you using?
  • How are you creating feedback loops?
  • Are you still inside the loop — or already outside watching it run?

Because once you close the loop…
you don’t want to go back.

 

Closing the Loop: Letting AI Finish the Work

Closing the Loop: Letting AI Finish the Work

Last week I was in Sochi on a ski trip. Instead of skiing, I got sick.

So I spent a few days locked in a hotel room, doing what I always do when I can’t move much: working. Or at least what looks like work. In reality, it’s my hobby.

YouTube wasn’t working well there, so I downloaded a few episodes in advance. Most of them were about OpenClaw and its creator, Peter Steinberger — also known for building PSPDFKit.

What started as passive watching turned into one of those rare moments of clarity you only get when you’re forced to slow down.

Shipping Code You Don’t Read (In the Right Context)

In one of the interviews, Peter said something that immediately caught my attention: he ships code he doesn’t review.

At first that sounds reckless. But then I realized… I sometimes do the same.

However, context matters.

Most of my daily work is research and development. I build experimental systems, prototypes, and proofs of concept — either for our internal office or for exploring ideas with clients. A lot of what I write is not production software yet. It’s exploratory. It’s about testing possibilities.

In that environment, I don’t always need to read every line of generated code.

If the use case works and the tests pass, that’s often enough.

I work mainly with C#, ASP.NET, Entity Framework, and XAF from DevExpress. I know these ecosystems extremely well. So if something breaks later, I can go in and fix it myself. But most of the time, the goal isn’t to perfect the implementation — it’s to validate the idea.

That’s a crucial distinction.

When writing production code for a customer, quality and review absolutely matter. You must inspect, verify, and ensure maintainability. But when working on experimental R&D, the priority is different: speed of validation and clarity of results.

In research mode, not every line needs to be perfect. It just needs to prove whether the idea works.

Working “Without Hands”

My real goal is to operate as much as possible without hands.

By that I mean minimizing direct human interaction with implementation. I want to express intent clearly enough so agents can execute it.

If I can describe a system precisely — especially in domains I know deeply — then the agent should be able to build, test, and refine it. My role becomes guiding and validating rather than manually constructing everything.

This is where modern development is heading.

The Problem With Vibe Coding

Peter talked about something that resonated deeply: when you’re vibe coding, you produce a lot of AI slop.

You prompt. The AI generates. You run it. It fails. You tweak. You run again. Still wrong. You tweak again.

Eventually, the human gets tired.

Even when you feel close to a solution, it’s not done until it’s actually done. And manually pushing that process forward becomes exhausting.

This is where many AI workflows break down. Not because the AI can’t generate solutions — but because the loop still depends too heavily on human intervention.

Closing the Loop

The key idea is simple and powerful: agentic development works when the agent can test and correct itself.

You must close the loop.

Instead of: human → prompt → AI → human checks → repeat

You want: AI → builds → tests → detects errors → fixes → tests again → repeat

The agent needs tools to evaluate its own output.

When AI can run tests, detect failures, and iterate automatically, something shifts. The process stops being experimental prompting and starts becoming real engineering.

Spec-Driven vs Self-Correcting Systems

Spec-driven development still matters. Some people dismiss it as too close to waterfall, but every methodology has flaws.

The real evolution is combining clear specifications with self-correcting loops.

The human defines:

  • The specification
  • The expected behavior
  • The acceptance criteria

Then the AI executes, tests, and refines until those criteria are satisfied.

The human doesn’t need to babysit every iteration. The human validates the result once the loop is closed.

Engineering vs Parasitic Ideas

There’s a concept from a book about parasitic ideas.

In social sciences, parasitic ideas can spread because they’re hard to disprove. In engineering, bad ideas fail quickly.

If you design a bridge incorrectly, it collapses. Reality provides immediate feedback.

Software — especially AI-generated software — needs the same grounding in reality. Without continuous testing and validation, generated code can drift into something that looks plausible but doesn’t work.

Closing the loop forces ideas to confront reality.

Tests are that reality.

Taking the Human Out of the Repetitive Loop

The goal isn’t removing humans entirely. It’s removing humans from repetitive validation.

The human should:

  • Define the specification
  • Define what “done” means
  • Approve the final result

The AI should:

  • Implement
  • Test
  • Detect issues
  • Fix itself
  • Repeat until success

When that happens, development becomes scalable in a new way. Not because AI writes code faster — but because AI can finish what it starts.

What I Realized in That Hotel Room

Getting sick in Sochi wasn’t part of the plan. But it forced me to slow down long enough to notice something important.

Most friction in modern development isn’t writing code. It’s closing loops.

We generate faster than we validate. We start more than we finish. We rely on humans to constantly re-check work that machines could verify themselves.

In research and experimental work, it’s fine not to inspect every line — as long as the system proves its behavior. In production work, deeper review is essential. Knowing when each approach applies is part of modern engineering maturity.

The future of agentic development isn’t just better models. It’s better loops.

Because in the end, nothing is finished until the loop is closed.