microsoft / microsoft/semantic-kernel
Python: Empty tool results lose correlation and fail serialization
Nobody has claimed this yet.
- Dominant language
- C#
- Stars
- 28.6k
- Forks
- 4.8k
- Avg merge
- 14h 13m
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 18
Description
Describe the bug
ChatHistory.add_tool_message() drops an empty-string tool result instead of preserving it as FunctionResultContent. The appended message still has role tool, but its items list is empty and the supplied tool_call_id is lost. Serializing that otherwise ordinary history message then raises IndexError because ChatMessageContent.to_dict() expects a tool message to contain a function result.
An empty string is a valid tool result for cases such as a successful command with no stdout or a no-op tool. The helper documents content as a string and requires tool_call_id; it should retain both even when the string is empty.
To reproduce
from semantic_kernel.contents.chat_history import ChatHistory
history = ChatHistory()
history.add_tool_message("", tool_call_id="call_123")
message = history.messages[-1]
print(message.role.value, len(message.items))
print(message.to_dict())
On current main (3438d882):
tool 0
IndexError: list index out of range
No model, provider, credentials, or network request is involved.
Root cause and proposed scope
ChatHistory._prepare_for_add() currently constructs FunctionResultContent only when content is truthy:
if role == AuthorRole.TOOL and content and not items:
Changing that predicate to content is not None preserves the existing behavior while allowing a valid empty result to retain result="", id, and call_id. A focused regression should assert both the FunctionResultContent fields and the serialized tool-message dictionary.
This is related to, but distinct from, #13678: that PR improves an Azure adapter's error for manually constructed tool messages with no items. This issue is about preventing the public ChatHistory.add_tool_message() helper from creating that invalid shape when its documented string input is empty.
Expected behavior
The helper should append one FunctionResultContent with the empty result and supplied call ID, and message.to_dict() should produce a valid tool message instead of raising.
Platform
- Language: Python
- Source: current repository
mainat3438d882 - AI model: not applicable
- OS: macOS; provider-free reproduction
I can submit the focused predicate change and regression once maintainers confirm this contract.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start in semantic_kernel/contents/chat_history.py at ChatHistory._prepare_for_add(), then reproduce the empty-result case from the issue. Add a focused regression covering the FunctionResultContent fields and message.to_dict(); done means an empty tool result retains its call ID and serializes without raising.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- api, testing
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Estimated time
- 1-3 hours
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 88/100