Add CultureInfo to SKContext (#1519)

### Motivation and Context

Enable callers to configure culture information that flows into native
functions and that controls how implicit parsing / formatting is
performed.

#1226
#1374

### Description

The culture defaults to CurrentCulture but can be explicitly set to
change it. Native functions can declare a CultureInfo or IFormatProvider
argument, and the culture from the context will implicitly flow as the
value of that argument, such that functions can then naturally use it
for culture-related customization. The culture from the context is also
used for all implicit parsing / formatting operations performed as part
of function invocation.

### Contribution Checklist
<!-- Before submitting this PR, please make sure: -->
- [x] The code builds clean without any errors or warnings
- [x] The PR follows SK Contribution Guidelines
(https://github.com/microsoft/semantic-kernel/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)
- [x] The code follows the .NET coding conventions
(https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/csharp/fundamentals/coding-style/coding-conventions)
verified with `dotnet format`
- [x] All unit tests pass, and I have added new tests where possible
- [ ] I didn't break anyone 😄

Co-authored-by: Shawn Callegari <36091529+shawncal@users.noreply.github.com>

dotnet/src/SemanticKernel.Abstractions/Orchestration/SKContext.cs

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Globalization;
 using System.Threading;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Abstractions;
@@ -17,6 +18,11 @@ namespace Microsoft.SemanticKernel.Orchestration;
 [DebuggerDisplay("{DebuggerDisplay,nq}")]
 public sealed class SKContext
 {
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The culture currently associated with this context.
+    /// </summary>
+    private CultureInfo _culture;
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Print the processed input, aka the current data after any processing occurred.
     /// </summary>
@@ -54,6 +60,15 @@ public sealed class SKContext
     /// </summary>
     public CancellationToken CancellationToken { get; }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The culture currently associated with this context.
+    /// </summary>
+    public CultureInfo Culture
+    {
+        get => this._culture;
+        set => this._culture = value ?? CultureInfo.CurrentCulture;
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Shortcut into user data, access variables by name
     /// </summary>
@@ -138,6 +153,7 @@ public ISKFunction Func(string skillName, string functionName)
         this.Skills = skills ?? NullReadOnlySkillCollection.Instance;
         this.Log = logger ?? NullLogger.Instance;
         this.CancellationToken = cancellationToken;
+        this._culture = CultureInfo.CurrentCulture;
     }
 
     /// <summary>
@@ -180,9 +196,10 @@ public SKContext Clone()
             logger: this.Log,
             cancellationToken: this.CancellationToken)
         {
+            Culture = this.Culture,
             ErrorOccurred = this.ErrorOccurred,
             LastErrorDescription = this.LastErrorDescription,
-            LastException = this.LastException
+            LastException = this.LastException,
         };
     }
 
@@ -209,6 +226,8 @@ private string DebuggerDisplay
                 display += $", Memory = {memory.GetType().Name}";
             }
 
+            display += $", Culture = {this.Culture.EnglishName}";
+
             return display;
         }
     }

dotnet/src/SemanticKernel.UnitTests/CoreSkills/TimeSkillTests.cs

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public void DaysAgo()
         double interval = 2;
         DateTime expected = DateTime.Now.AddDays(-interval);
         var skill = new TimeSkill();
-        string result = skill.DaysAgo(interval);
+        string result = skill.DaysAgo(interval, CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
         DateTime returned = DateTime.Parse(result, CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
         Assert.Equal(expected.Day, returned.Day);
         Assert.Equal(expected.Month, returned.Month);
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public void Day()
     {
         string expected = DateTime.Now.ToString("dd", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
         var skill = new TimeSkill();
-        string result = skill.Day();
+        string result = skill.Day(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
         Assert.Equal(expected, result);
         Assert.True(int.TryParse(result, out _));
     }
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public void LastMatchingDay(DayOfWeek dayName)
         Assert.True(found);
 
         var skill = new TimeSkill();
-        string result = skill.DateMatchingLastDayName(dayName);
+        string result = skill.DateMatchingLastDayName(dayName, CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
         DateTime returned = DateTime.Parse(result, CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
         Assert.Equal(date.Day, returned.Day);
         Assert.Equal(date.Month, returned.Month);

dotnet/src/SemanticKernel.UnitTests/SkillDefinition/SKFunctionTests2.cs

@@ -852,6 +852,37 @@ static async Task AssertResult(Delegate d, SKContext context, string expected)
         await AssertResult((Uri input) => new Uri(input, "kernel"), context, "http://example.com/kernel");
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task ItUsesContextCultureForParsingFormatting()
+    {
+        // Arrange
+        var context = this.MockContext("");
+        ISKFunction func = SKFunction.FromNativeFunction((double input) => input * 2, functionName: "Test");
+
+        // Act/Assert
+
+        context.Culture = new CultureInfo("fr-FR");
+        context.Variables.Update("12,34"); // tries first to parse with the specified culture
+        context = await func.InvokeAsync(context);
+        Assert.Equal("24,68", context.Variables.Input);
+
+        context.Culture = new CultureInfo("fr-FR");
+        context.Variables.Update("12.34"); // falls back to invariant culture
+        context = await func.InvokeAsync(context);
+        Assert.Equal("24,68", context.Variables.Input);
+
+        context.Culture = new CultureInfo("en-US");
+        context.Variables.Update("12.34"); // works with current culture
+        context = await func.InvokeAsync(context);
+        Assert.Equal("24.68", context.Variables.Input);
+
+        context.Culture = new CultureInfo("en-US");
+        context.Variables.Update("12,34"); // not parsable with current or invariant culture
+        context = await func.InvokeAsync(context);
+        Assert.True(context.ErrorOccurred);
+        Assert.IsType<ArgumentOutOfRangeException>(context.LastException);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task ItThrowsWhenItFailsToConvertAnArgument()
     {

dotnet/src/SemanticKernel/CoreSkills/TextSkill.cs

@@ -68,9 +68,10 @@ public sealed class TextSkill
     /// {{text.uppercase $input}} => "HELLO WORLD"
     /// </example>
     /// <param name="input"> The string to convert. </param>
+    /// <param name="cultureInfo"> An object that supplies culture-specific casing rules. </param>
     /// <returns> The converted string. </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Convert a string to uppercase.")]
-    public string Uppercase(string input) => input.ToUpper(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+    public string Uppercase(string input, CultureInfo? cultureInfo = null) => input.ToUpper(cultureInfo);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Convert a string to lowercase.
@@ -80,9 +81,10 @@ public sealed class TextSkill
     /// {{text.lowercase $input}} => "hello world"
     /// </example>
     /// <param name="input"> The string to convert. </param>
+    /// <param name="cultureInfo"> An object that supplies culture-specific casing rules. </param>
     /// <returns> The converted string. </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Convert a string to lowercase.")]
-    public string Lowercase(string input) => input.ToLower(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+    public string Lowercase(string input, CultureInfo? cultureInfo = null) => input.ToLower(cultureInfo);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the length of a string. Returns 0 if null or empty

dotnet/src/SemanticKernel/CoreSkills/TimeSkill.cs

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 using System;
 using System.ComponentModel;
-using System.Globalization;
 using Microsoft.SemanticKernel.SkillDefinition;
 
 namespace Microsoft.SemanticKernel.CoreSkills;
@@ -49,9 +48,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current date </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current date")]
-    public string Date() =>
+    public string Date(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: Sunday, 12 January, 2025
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("D", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("D", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current date
@@ -61,7 +60,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current date </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current date")]
-    public string Today() => this.Date();
+    public string Today(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
+        // Example: Sunday, 12 January, 2025
+        this.Date(formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current date and time in the local time zone"
@@ -71,9 +72,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current date and time in the local time zone </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current date and time in the local time zone")]
-    public string Now() =>
+    public string Now(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Sunday, January 12, 2025 9:15 PM
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("f", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("f", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current UTC date and time
@@ -83,9 +84,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current UTC date and time </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current UTC date and time")]
-    public string UtcNow() =>
+    public string UtcNow(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Sunday, January 13, 2025 5:15 AM
-        DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToString("f", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToString("f", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current time
@@ -95,9 +96,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current time </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current time")]
-    public string Time() =>
+    public string Time(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: 09:15:07 PM
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("hh:mm:ss tt", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("hh:mm:ss tt", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current year
@@ -107,9 +108,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current year </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current year")]
-    public string Year() =>
+    public string Year(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: 2025
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("yyyy", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("yyyy", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current month name
@@ -119,9 +120,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current month name </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current month name")]
-    public string Month() =>
+    public string Month(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: January
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("MMMM", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("MMMM", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current month number
@@ -131,9 +132,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current month number </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current month number")]
-    public string MonthNumber() =>
+    public string MonthNumber(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: 01
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("MM", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("MM", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current day of the month
@@ -143,9 +144,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current day of the month </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current day of the month")]
-    public string Day() =>
+    public string Day(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: 12
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("dd", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("dd", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the date a provided number of days in the past
@@ -157,8 +158,8 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// <returns> The date the provided number of days before today </returns>
     [SKFunction]
     [Description("Get the date offset by a provided number of days from today")]
-    public string DaysAgo([Description("The number of days to offset from today"), SKName("input")] double daysOffset) =>
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.AddDays(-daysOffset).ToString("D", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+    public string DaysAgo([Description("The number of days to offset from today"), SKName("input")] double daysOffset, IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.AddDays(-daysOffset).ToString("D", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current day of the week
@@ -168,9 +169,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current day of the week </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current day of the week")]
-    public string DayOfWeek() =>
+    public string DayOfWeek(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: Sunday
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("dddd", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("dddd", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current clock hour
@@ -180,9 +181,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current clock hour </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current clock hour")]
-    public string Hour() =>
+    public string Hour(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: 9 PM
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("h tt", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("h tt", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the current clock 24-hour number
@@ -192,9 +193,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The current clock 24-hour number </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the current clock 24-hour number")]
-    public string HourNumber() =>
+    public string HourNumber(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: 21
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("HH", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("HH", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the date of the previous day matching the supplied day name
@@ -206,7 +207,9 @@ public sealed class TimeSkill
     /// <exception cref="ArgumentOutOfRangeException">dayName is not a recognized name of a day of the week</exception>
     [SKFunction]
     [Description("Get the date of the last day matching the supplied week day name in English. Example: Che giorno era 'Martedi' scorso -> dateMatchingLastDayName 'Tuesday' => Tuesday, 16 May, 2023")]
-    public string DateMatchingLastDayName([Description("The day name to match"), SKName("input")] DayOfWeek dayName)
+    public string DateMatchingLastDayName(
+        [Description("The day name to match"), SKName("input")] DayOfWeek dayName,
+        IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null)
     {
         DateTimeOffset dateTime = DateTimeOffset.Now;
 
@@ -220,7 +223,7 @@ public string DateMatchingLastDayName([Description("The day name to match"), SKN
             }
         }
 
-        return dateTime.ToString("D", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        return dateTime.ToString("D", formatProvider);
     }
 
     /// <summary>
@@ -231,9 +234,9 @@ public string DateMatchingLastDayName([Description("The day name to match"), SKN
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The minutes on the current hour </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the minutes on the current hour")]
-    public string Minute() =>
+    public string Minute(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: 15
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("mm", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("mm", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the seconds on the current minute
@@ -243,9 +246,9 @@ public string DateMatchingLastDayName([Description("The day name to match"), SKN
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The seconds on the current minute </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the seconds on the current minute")]
-    public string Second() =>
+    public string Second(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: 07
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("ss", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("ss", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the local time zone offset from UTC
@@ -255,9 +258,9 @@ public string DateMatchingLastDayName([Description("The day name to match"), SKN
     /// </example>
     /// <returns> The local time zone offset from UTC </returns>
     [SKFunction, Description("Get the local time zone offset from UTC")]
-    public string TimeZoneOffset() =>
+    public string TimeZoneOffset(IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null) =>
         // Example: -08:00
-        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("%K", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture);
+        DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("%K", formatProvider);
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Get the local time zone name