> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/microsoft/autogen/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# .NET SDK Overview

> Build multi-agent AI applications with AutoGen for .NET

## What is AutoGen for .NET?

AutoGen for .NET is a powerful framework for building multi-agent conversational AI applications using C#. It provides a comprehensive set of tools and abstractions for creating intelligent agents that can communicate, collaborate, and solve complex problems together.

## Key Features

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Conversable Agents" icon="robot">
    Create AI agents with customizable behaviors, including AssistantAgent and UserProxyAgent for human-in-the-loop workflows.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Group Chat" icon="users">
    Orchestrate multiple agents in dynamic conversations with flexible workflows and role-based coordination.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Type-Safe Functions" icon="code">
    Define functions with source generators for compile-time type safety and automatic schema generation.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Code Execution" icon="terminal">
    Execute C#, F#, Python, and PowerShell code snippets using dotnet-interactive integration.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Architecture

AutoGen for .NET consists of two package families:

### AutoGen.\* Packages (Stable)

The mature, stable packages derived from AutoGen 0.2:

* **AutoGen.Core**: Core abstractions for agents, messages, and group chat
* **AutoGen.OpenAI**: OpenAI model integration
* **AutoGen.Anthropic**: Claude model integration
* **AutoGen.AzureAIInference**: Azure AI Inference integration
* **AutoGen.SemanticKernel**: Semantic Kernel integration
* **AutoGen.SourceGenerator**: Type-safe function generation
* **AutoGen.DotnetInteractive**: Code execution capabilities

### Microsoft.AutoGen.\* Packages (Preview)

New event-driven packages with modern architecture (APIs subject to change):

* **Microsoft.AutoGen.Core**: Event-driven core runtime
* **Microsoft.AutoGen.Agents**: Agent hosting infrastructure
* **Microsoft.AutoGen.AgentChat**: Conversational agents

<Note>
  This documentation focuses on the stable **AutoGen.**\* packages, which are recommended for production use.
</Note>

## Core Concepts

### Agents

Agents are the building blocks of AutoGen applications. Each agent has:

* **Name**: Unique identifier for the agent
* **System Message**: Instructions that define the agent's role and behavior
* **LLM Configuration**: Model settings and API credentials
* **Human Input Mode**: Control when human intervention is required

### Messages

AutoGen supports multiple message types:

* `TextMessage`: Plain text content
* `ImageMessage`: Visual content
* `ToolCallMessage`: Function invocation requests
* `ToolCallResultMessage`: Function execution results
* `ToolCallAggregateMessage`: Combined tool call and result

### Middleware

Middleware components intercept and process messages, enabling:

* Function calling
* Message transformation
* Logging and debugging
* Custom workflows

## Quick Example

Here's a minimal example to get you started:

```csharp theme={null}
using AutoGen;
using AutoGen.OpenAI;

var openAIKey = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("OPENAI_API_KEY");
var gpt35Config = new OpenAIConfig(openAIKey, "gpt-3.5-turbo");

var assistant = new AssistantAgent(
    name: "assistant",
    systemMessage: "You are a helpful AI assistant.",
    llmConfig: new ConversableAgentConfig
    {
        Temperature = 0,
        ConfigList = [gpt35Config],
    })
    .RegisterPrintMessage();

var user = new UserProxyAgent(
    name: "user",
    humanInputMode: HumanInputMode.ALWAYS)
    .RegisterPrintMessage();

await user.InitiateChatAsync(
    receiver: assistant,
    message: "Hello, can you help me?",
    maxRound: 10);
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quick Start" icon="rocket" href="/dotnet/quickstart">
    Build your first AutoGen application in minutes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Installation" icon="download" href="/dotnet/installation">
    Install AutoGen packages via NuGet
  </Card>

  <Card title="Core Concepts" icon="book" href="/dotnet/agents">
    Learn about agents and messaging
  </Card>

  <Card title="Examples" icon="code" href="/examples/hello-world">
    Explore sample applications
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Resources

* [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/microsoft/autogen/tree/main/dotnet)
* [NuGet Packages](https://www.nuget.org/packages?q=AutoGen)
* [Sample Projects](https://github.com/microsoft/autogen/tree/main/dotnet/samples)