foundry-agent-basics

name	foundry-agent-basics
description	Help a learner build their first AI agent with the Microsoft Agent Framework (MAF) on Microsoft Foundry. Use when the task is creating a basic agent, wiring up FoundryChatClient, choosing a model, running the DevUI, or understanding lesson 1–2 concepts (instructions, tools, threads).

Foundry agent basics

Guidance for building a first agent in this course (Lessons 1–2).

Guardrails (always apply)

• Platform: Microsoft Foundry (never say "Azure AI Foundry"). Framework: Microsoft Agent Framework (MAF).
• SDK: use the pinned agent-framework from requirements.txt with FoundryChatClient and the Responses API. Do not use AzureAIClient, AzureAIAgentClient, or AzureOpenAIChatClient.
• Model: gpt-5.1 for chat. Never gpt-4o / gpt-4.1 (retired) and never GitHub Models.
• Auth: az login + AzureCliCredential; endpoint/model come from .env (never hardcoded).

What a learner should understand first

1. Agent = model + instructions + tools + a thread. Instructions set the persona/task; tools extend capability; a thread carries conversation state.
2. Design before code (Lesson 1): identify the scenario, the user, the tools needed, and the success criteria. The course use case is "Developer Onboarding".
3. One agent, one job. Lesson 2 builds several small, specialised agents rather than one monolith (employee search, learning recommendation, coding, orchestration, etc.).

Minimal shape of a sample