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The [GAgent] Attribute: Defining and Discovering Your Agents

Introduction​

The [GAgent] attribute is a key part of the Aevatar framework, enabling developers to register their custom agents (GAgents) with unique namespaces and aliases. This makes it easy to organize, discover, and retrieve agents using the GAgentFactory.

What Does [GAgent] Do?​

  • Registers your class as a GAgent so it can participate in the Aevatar ecosystem.
  • Defines a unique namespace and alias for your agent, which are used for identification and lookup.
  • Enables dynamic retrieval of your agent via the GAgentFactory by type, alias, or namespace.

The attribute is implemented as GAgentAttribute in the framework and is applied to your agent class.

Usage​

Basic Usage​

[GAgent]
public class MyAgent : GAgentBase<MyState, MyEvent> { ... }

This registers MyAgent with its default namespace (the class's namespace) and alias (the class name).

Custom Alias​

[GAgent("custom-alias")]
public class MyAgent : GAgentBase<MyState, MyEvent> { ... }

This registers MyAgent with the alias custom-alias in its default namespace.

Custom Alias and Namespace​

[GAgent("custom-alias", "custom.namespace")]
public class MyAgent : GAgentBase<MyState, MyEvent> { ... }

This registers MyAgent with the alias custom-alias in the namespace custom.namespace.

How It Works​

The attribute implements IGrainTypeProviderAttribute and provides a GetGrainType method. This method determines the unique grain type string based on the alias and namespace you provide, or falls back to the class's namespace and name.

This unique identifier is used by the GAgentFactory to locate and instantiate your agent:

var agent = await gAgentFactory.GetGAgentAsync("custom-alias", "custom.namespace");

Best Practices​

  • Use clear, descriptive aliases and namespaces to avoid conflicts and improve discoverability.
  • Stick to a consistent naming convention across your project.
  • Document your agent's purpose and registration details for maintainability.

Further Reading​

By leveraging the [GAgent] attribute, you can easily organize and retrieve your distributed agents, making your Aevatar-based applications more modular and maintainable.