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Agent SDK for Programmatic Control

Problem

Interactive terminal or chat interfaces are suitable for many agent tasks, but not for all. Integrating agent capabilities into automated workflows (e.g., CI/CD pipelines, scheduled jobs, batch processing) or building more complex applications on top of core agent functionalities requires a programmatic interface.

Solution

Provide a Software Development Kit (SDK) that exposes the agent's core functionalities for programmatic access. This SDK allows developers to:

  • Invoke agent actions (e.g., process a prompt, use a tool, access memory) from code (e.g., Python, TypeScript).
  • Configure agent behavior and tool access in a non-interactive manner.
  • Integrate agent logic into larger software systems.
  • Automate repetitive tasks that involve the agent.
  • Build custom user interfaces or applications powered by the agent's backend.

The SDK typically includes libraries, command-line interfaces (CLIs) for scripting, and documentation for headless or embedded use of the agent.

Example (SDK integration)

flowchart TD A[Application/Script] --> B[Agent SDK] B --> C[Agent Core] B --> D[CLI Interface] B --> E[Python Library] B --> F[TypeScript Library] C --> G[Tool Access] C --> H[Memory Management] C --> I[Model Interface] G --> J[File System] G --> K[Web API] G --> L[Custom Tools]

Example CLI Usage (Conceptual, from Claude Code SDK info):

$ claude -p "what did i do this week?" \
  --allowedTools Bash(git log:*) \
  --output-format json

References

  • Based on the description of the Claude Code SDK in "Mastering Claude Code: Boris Cherny's Guide & Cheatsheet," section VI.

Source