How to convert Kernel with Plugins to IChatClient with AIFunction / Tools ?

[cdock1029]

I'm trying to extract an IChatClient from a Kernel that has Plugins.

I've gotten this far:

 serviceCollection
     .AddKernel()
     .AddOpenAIChatCompletion(apiKey: chatConfig!.OpenAiApiKey, modelId: "gpt-4o-mini")
     .Plugins
     .AddFromType<UtilitiesPlugin>()
     .AddFromType<TreasuryPlugin>();

 serviceCollection.AddChatClient(serviceProvider =>
 {
     Kernel kernel = serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<Kernel>();
     IChatCompletionService completionService = kernel.GetRequiredService<IChatCompletionService>();
     IChatClient client = completionService.AsChatClient();
     ChatClientBuilder builder = new ChatClientBuilder(client)
         .UseFunctionInvocation()
         .ConfigureOptions(options =>
         {
             IEnumerable<AIFunction> aiFunctions =
                 kernel.Plugins.SelectMany(kp => kp.AsAIFunctions());
             options.Tools = [..aiFunctions];
             options.ToolMode = ChatToolMode.Auto;
         });
     return builder.Build();
 });


public sealed class UtilitiesPlugin
{
    [KernelFunction("get_current_utc_time")]
    public string GetCurrentUtcTime()
    {
        return DateTime.UtcNow.ToString("R");
    }
}

When sending a message I get this error:

System.ArgumentException: A function name can contain only ASCII letters, digits, and underscores: 'UtilitiesPlugin-get_current_utc_time' is not a valid name. (Parameter 'value')
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Verify.ThrowArgumentInvalidName(String kind, String name, String paramName)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Verify.ValidFunctionName(String functionName, String paramName)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.KernelFunctionMetadata.set_Name(String value)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.KernelFunctionMetadata..ctor(String name)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.KernelFunction..ctor(String name, String pluginName, String description, IReadOnlyList`1 parameters, JsonSerializerOptions jsonSerializerOptions, KernelReturnParameterMetadata returnParameter, Dictionary`2 executionSettings, ReadOnlyDictionary`2 additionalMetadata)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.KernelFunction..ctor(String name, String description, IReadOnlyList`1 parameters, JsonSerializerOptions jsonSerializerOptions, KernelReturnParameterMetadata returnParameter, Dictionary`2 executionSettings)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.ChatCompletion.AIFunctionKernelFunction..ctor(AIFunction aiFunction)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.ChatCompletion.ChatCompletionServiceChatClient.<>c.<ToPromptExecutionSettings>b__9_0(AIFunction f)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.IEnumerableWhereSelectIterator`2.MoveNext()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.IEnumerableSelectIterator`2.ToList()
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.AutoFunctionChoiceBehavior..ctor(IEnumerable`1 functions, Boolean autoInvoke, FunctionChoiceBehaviorOptions options)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.FunctionChoiceBehavior.Auto(IEnumerable`1 functions, Boolean autoInvoke, FunctionChoiceBehaviorOptions options)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.ChatCompletion.ChatCompletionServiceChatClient.ToPromptExecutionSettings(ChatOptions options)
   at Microsoft.SemanticKernel.ChatCompletion.ChatCompletionServiceChatClient.CompleteStreamingAsync(IList`1 chatMessages, ChatOptions options, CancellationToken cancellationToken)+MoveNext()

I guess it's from this dash

semantic-kernel/dotnet/src/SemanticKernel.Abstractions/Functions/KernelFunction.cs

Line 531 in e7beb6a

$"{kernelFunction.PluginName}-{kernelFunction.Name}";

Any suggestions? Is plugin use from IChatClient not supported?

[stephentoub]

Is plugin use from IChatClient not supported?

It should definitely work. Looks like a bug to be fixed asap.

[cdock1029]

ValidFunctionName / ValidPluginName utilities don't allow dash

But dash was changed in this commit

ca5e285#diff-38953b1c66d724196bc0bea9aef0d9d3ddd15ad62457ff9cb906b6616a98318fL566

[stephentoub]

@rogerbarreto, why was this changed? We can come up with workarounds, but I'm curious what drove this to go from an _ to a - . Thanks.

[cdock1029]

Wasn't sure if was preferred, but I made issue here: #10819