AI agents are no longer just futuristic buzzwords - they're becoming practical tools that developers can build, test, and deploy today. And if you've been exploring Microsoft Foundry, you've probably heard about declarative agent workflows. These workflows let you define what agents should do in a structured, predictable way, without writing endless lines of imperative code.
In this writeup, I'll walk you through how to view, run, and test declarative workflows inside Visual Studio Code (VS Code) using Microsoft Foundry. Think of it as your starter guide to building smarter, more reliable agent systems.
🧩 What Are Declarative Agent Workflows?
Declarative workflows are like giving your agents a recipe. Instead of telling them step by step how to cook, you describe what the final dish should look like. Foundry then handles the execution logic.
For example:
Agent 1 might be responsible for pulling data.
Agent 2 analyzes it.
Agent 3 formats the output.
You don't need to micromanage every step - you just declare the workflow, and Foundry makes sure it runs correctly.
💻 Setting Up in VS Code
VS Code is the perfect environment for working with Foundry workflows because it's lightweight, extensible, and developer-friendly.
Here's the flow you'll follow:
Open your workflow files: Either click on the VS code link inside Foundry or use YAML or JSON.
Explore the structure: You'll see agents, tools, and triggers defined declaratively.
Run the workflow: Use Foundry's CLI or VS Code extensions to execute the workflow.
Test and debug: VS Code's integrated terminal and debugging tools make it easy to spot errors or refine logic.
🔍 Running & Testing Your Workflow
Running a workflow is as simple as executing a command, but testing is where the magic happens.
Unit testing agents: Check if each agent performs its role correctly.
Integration testing: Run the full workflow to see how agents interact.
⚡ Why This Matters
Declarative workflows make agent development scalable and reliable. Instead of hacking together scripts, you define intent and let Foundry handle execution. Combined with VS Code, you get a smooth developer experience: easy editing, debugging, and testing.
This approach is perfect for:
Teams building multi-agent systems.
Developers experimenting with human-in-the-loop automation.
Businesses wanting repeatable, auditable workflows.
🎥 Watch the Magic
I've created a full video where I demonstrated this process step by step - from creating workflows with integrated agents, opening workflows in VS Code to running and testing them with Microsoft Foundry.
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