Python: AG-UI deterministic state updates from tool results (#5201)

* AG-UI deterministic state updates from tool results

* fix(ag-ui): address PR #5201 review comments

1. Add missing AGUIEventConverter, AGUIHttpService, __version__ to
   _IMPORTS in core ag_ui lazy-export list to match the .pyi stub.

2. Coalesce predictive and deterministic state snapshots into a single
   StateSnapshotEvent when both mechanisms are active on the same tool
   result, reducing redundant snapshot traffic.

3. Update state_update() docstring to clarify that a predictive snapshot
   may be emitted before the deterministic one when predict_state_config
   is active.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: Copilot <copilot@github.com>
Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: 3 people

python/packages/ag-ui/agent_framework_ag_ui/__init__.py

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from ._endpoint import add_agent_framework_fastapi_endpoint
 from ._event_converters import AGUIEventConverter
 from ._http_service import AGUIHttpService
+from ._state import state_update
 from ._types import AgentState, AGUIChatOptions, AGUIRequest, PredictStateConfig, RunMetadata
 from ._workflow import AgentFrameworkWorkflow, WorkflowFactory
 
@@ -34,5 +35,6 @@
     "PredictStateConfig",
     "RunMetadata",
     "DEFAULT_TAGS",
+    "state_update",
     "__version__",
 ]

python/packages/ag-ui/agent_framework_ag_ui/_run_common.py

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import json
 import logging
+from collections.abc import Mapping
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from typing import Any, cast
 
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@
 from agent_framework import Content
 
 from ._orchestration._predictive_state import PredictiveStateHandler
+from ._state import TOOL_RESULT_STATE_KEY
 from ._utils import generate_event_id, make_json_safe
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -233,16 +235,66 @@ def _emit_tool_call(
     return events
 
 
+def _extract_tool_result_state(content: Content) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
+    """Extract a deterministic AG-UI state update from a tool-result ``Content``.
+
+    Tools using :func:`agent_framework_ag_ui.state_update` carry the state
+    payload in ``additional_properties[TOOL_RESULT_STATE_KEY]`` on the inner
+    text item produced by ``parse_result``. We also check the outer
+    function_result content's ``additional_properties`` for robustness.
+
+    If multiple items carry state, they are merged in order so later items
+    override earlier ones (plain ``dict.update`` semantics).
+
+    Returns:
+        The merged state dict to apply, or ``None`` if no state update is
+        present.
+    """
+    merged: dict[str, Any] | None = None
+
+    outer_ap = getattr(content, "additional_properties", None) or {}
+    outer_state = outer_ap.get(TOOL_RESULT_STATE_KEY)
+    if isinstance(outer_state, dict):
+        merged = dict(outer_state)
+
+    for item in content.items or ():
+        item_ap = getattr(item, "additional_properties", None) or {}
+        item_state = item_ap.get(TOOL_RESULT_STATE_KEY)
+        if isinstance(item_state, dict):
+            if merged is None:
+                merged = dict(item_state)
+            else:
+                merged.update(item_state)
+
+    return merged
+
+
 def _emit_tool_result_common(
     call_id: str,
     raw_result: Any,
     flow: FlowState,
     predictive_handler: PredictiveStateHandler | None = None,
+    *,
+    state_update: Mapping[str, Any] | None = None,
 ) -> list[BaseEvent]:
     """Shared helper for emitting ToolCallEnd + ToolCallResult events and performing FlowState cleanup.
 
     Both ``_emit_tool_result`` (standard function results) and ``_emit_mcp_tool_result``
     (MCP server tool results) delegate to this function.
+
+    Args:
+        call_id: Tool call identifier.
+        raw_result: The stringified tool result content sent back to the LLM.
+        flow: Current ``FlowState``.
+        predictive_handler: Optional predictive state handler driven by
+            ``predict_state_config``.
+        state_update: Optional deterministic state snapshot produced by a tool
+            returning :func:`agent_framework_ag_ui.state_update`. When present,
+            it is merged into ``flow.current_state`` and a ``StateSnapshotEvent``
+            is emitted after the ``ToolCallResult`` event. When both
+            ``predictive_handler`` and ``state_update`` are active, predictive
+            updates are applied first, then the deterministic merge, and a
+            single coalesced ``StateSnapshotEvent`` is emitted.
     """
     events: list[BaseEvent] = []
 
@@ -271,8 +323,18 @@ def _emit_tool_result_common(
 
     if predictive_handler:
         predictive_handler.apply_pending_updates()
-        if flow.current_state:
-            events.append(StateSnapshotEvent(snapshot=flow.current_state))
+
+    if state_update:
+        flow.current_state.update(state_update)
+        logger.debug(
+            "Emitted deterministic tool-result StateSnapshotEvent for call_id=%s (keys=%s)",
+            call_id,
+            list(state_update.keys()),
+        )
+
+    # Emit a single coalesced snapshot when either mechanism updated state.
+    if (predictive_handler or state_update) and flow.current_state:
+        events.append(StateSnapshotEvent(snapshot=flow.current_state))
 
     flow.tool_call_id = None
     flow.tool_call_name = None
@@ -295,7 +357,14 @@ def _emit_tool_result(
     if not content.call_id:
         return []
     raw_result = content.result if content.result is not None else ""
-    return _emit_tool_result_common(content.call_id, raw_result, flow, predictive_handler)
+    state_update = _extract_tool_result_state(content)
+    return _emit_tool_result_common(
+        content.call_id,
+        raw_result,
+        flow,
+        predictive_handler,
+        state_update=state_update,
+    )
 
 
 def _emit_approval_request(
@@ -460,7 +529,14 @@ def _emit_mcp_tool_result(
         logger.warning("MCP tool result content missing call_id, skipping")
         return []
     raw_output = content.output if content.output is not None else ""
-    return _emit_tool_result_common(content.call_id, raw_output, flow, predictive_handler)
+    state_update = _extract_tool_result_state(content)
+    return _emit_tool_result_common(
+        content.call_id,
+        raw_output,
+        flow,
+        predictive_handler,
+        state_update=state_update,
+    )
 
 
 def _close_reasoning_block(flow: FlowState) -> list[BaseEvent]:

python/packages/ag-ui/agent_framework_ag_ui/_state.py

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+# Copyright (c) Microsoft. All rights reserved.
+
+"""Deterministic tool-driven AG-UI state updates.
+
+Tools wired into the :mod:`agent_framework_ag_ui` endpoint can push a
+deterministic state update by returning :func:`state_update`. Unlike
+``predict_state_config`` — which emits ``StateDeltaEvent``s optimistically from
+LLM-predicted tool call arguments — ``state_update`` runs *after* the tool
+executes, so the AG-UI state always reflects the tool's actual return value.
+
+See issue https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework/issues/3167 for the
+motivating discussion.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from collections.abc import Mapping
+from typing import Any
+
+from agent_framework import Content
+
+__all__ = ["TOOL_RESULT_STATE_KEY", "state_update"]
+
+
+TOOL_RESULT_STATE_KEY = "__ag_ui_tool_result_state__"
+"""Reserved ``Content.additional_properties`` key used to carry a tool-driven
+state snapshot from a tool return value through to the AG-UI emitter."""
+
+
+def state_update(
+    text: str = "",
+    *,
+    state: Mapping[str, Any],
+) -> Content:
+    """Build a tool return value that deterministically updates AG-UI shared state.
+
+    Return the result of this helper from an agent tool to push a state update
+    to AG-UI clients using the actual tool output, rather than LLM-predicted
+    tool arguments.
+
+    When the AG-UI endpoint emits the tool result, it will:
+
+    * Forward ``text`` to the LLM as the normal ``function_result`` content.
+    * Merge ``state`` into ``FlowState.current_state``.
+    * Emit a deterministic ``StateSnapshotEvent`` after the ``ToolCallResult``
+      event so frontends observe the updated state deterministically. If
+      predictive state is enabled, a predictive snapshot may be emitted first.
+
+    Example:
+        .. code-block:: python
+
+            from agent_framework import tool
+            from agent_framework_ag_ui import state_update
+
+
+            @tool
+            async def get_weather(city: str) -> Content:
+                data = await _fetch_weather(city)
+                return state_update(
+                    text=f"Weather in {city}: {data['temp']}°C {data['conditions']}",
+                    state={"weather": {"city": city, **data}},
+                )
+
+    Args:
+        text: Text passed back to the LLM as the ``function_result`` content.
+            Defaults to an empty string for tools whose only output is a state
+            update.
+        state: A mapping merged into the AG-UI shared state via JSON-compatible
+            ``dict.update`` semantics. Nested dicts are replaced, not deep-merged.
+
+    Returns:
+        A ``Content`` object with ``type="text"``. The state payload rides in
+        ``additional_properties`` under :data:`TOOL_RESULT_STATE_KEY` and is
+        extracted by the AG-UI emitter.
+
+    Raises:
+        TypeError: If ``state`` is not a ``Mapping``.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(state, Mapping):
+        raise TypeError(f"state_update() 'state' must be a Mapping, got {type(state).__name__}")
+    return Content.from_text(
+        text,
+        additional_properties={TOOL_RESULT_STATE_KEY: dict(state)},
+    )

python/packages/ag-ui/agent_framework_ag_ui_examples/agents/weather_state_agent.py

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+# Copyright (c) Microsoft. All rights reserved.
+
+"""Deterministic tool-driven AG-UI state example.
+
+This sample demonstrates how a tool can push a *deterministic* state update
+to the AG-UI frontend based on its actual return value — in contrast to
+``predict_state_config`` which fires optimistically from LLM-predicted tool
+call arguments. See issue https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework/issues/3167.
+
+The :func:`agent_framework_ag_ui.state_update` helper wraps a text result
+together with a state snapshot. When a tool returns one of these, the AG-UI
+endpoint merges the snapshot into the shared state and emits a
+``StateSnapshotEvent`` after the tool result.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Any
+
+from agent_framework import Agent, Content, SupportsChatGetResponse, tool
+from agent_framework.ag_ui import AgentFrameworkAgent
+
+from agent_framework_ag_ui import state_update
+
+# Simulated weather database — in the issue's motivating example the tool
+# would instead call a real weather API.
+_WEATHER_DB: dict[str, dict[str, Any]] = {
+    "seattle": {"temperature": 11, "conditions": "rainy", "humidity": 75},
+    "san francisco": {"temperature": 14, "conditions": "foggy", "humidity": 85},
+    "new york city": {"temperature": 18, "conditions": "sunny", "humidity": 60},
+    "miami": {"temperature": 29, "conditions": "hot and humid", "humidity": 90},
+    "chicago": {"temperature": 9, "conditions": "windy", "humidity": 65},
+}
+
+
+@tool
+async def get_weather(location: str) -> Content:
+    """Fetch current weather for a location and push it into AG-UI shared state.
+
+    Unlike ``predict_state_config`` — which derives state optimistically from
+    LLM-predicted tool call arguments — this tool uses ``state_update`` to
+    forward the *actual* fetched weather to the frontend. The ``text`` goes
+    back to the LLM as the normal tool result, and the ``state`` dict is merged
+    into the AG-UI shared state.
+
+    Args:
+        location: City name to look up.
+
+    Returns:
+        A :class:`Content` carrying both the LLM-visible text result and a
+        deterministic state snapshot.
+    """
+    key = location.lower()
+    data = _WEATHER_DB.get(
+        key,
+        {"temperature": 21, "conditions": "partly cloudy", "humidity": 50},
+    )
+    weather_record = {"location": location, **data}
+    return state_update(
+        text=(
+            f"The weather in {location} is {data['conditions']} at "
+            f"{data['temperature']}°C with {data['humidity']}% humidity."
+        ),
+        state={"weather": weather_record},
+    )
+
+
+def weather_state_agent(client: SupportsChatGetResponse[Any]) -> AgentFrameworkAgent:
+    """Create an AG-UI agent with a deterministic tool-driven state tool."""
+    agent = Agent[Any](
+        name="weather_state_agent",
+        instructions=(
+            "You are a weather assistant. When a user asks about the weather "
+            "in a city, call the get_weather tool and use its output to give a "
+            "friendly, concise reply. The tool also updates the shared UI state "
+            "so the frontend can render a weather card from the `weather` key."
+        ),
+        client=client,
+        tools=[get_weather],
+    )
+
+    return AgentFrameworkAgent(
+        agent=agent,
+        name="WeatherStateAgent",
+        description="Weather agent that deterministically updates shared state from tool results.",
+        state_schema={
+            "weather": {
+                "type": "object",
+                "description": "Last fetched weather record",
+            },
+        },
+    )

python/packages/ag-ui/agent_framework_ag_ui_examples/server/main.py

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 from ..agents.task_steps_agent import task_steps_agent_wrapped
 from ..agents.ui_generator_agent import ui_generator_agent
 from ..agents.weather_agent import weather_agent
+from ..agents.weather_state_agent import weather_state_agent
 
 AnthropicClient: type[Any] | None
 try:
@@ -141,6 +142,14 @@
     path="/subgraphs",
 )
 
+# Deterministic Tool-Driven State - tool returns state_update() to push snapshot
+# from actual tool output (see issue #3167).
+add_agent_framework_fastapi_endpoint(
+    app=app,
+    agent=weather_state_agent(client),
+    path="/deterministic_state",
+)
+
 
 def main():
     """Run the server."""