.Net Removing special "input" argument (#4156)

### Motivation and Context

Resolves #3887 

Before:
```csharp
var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new("I missed the F1 final race"));
```

After:
```csharp
var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new() { ["input"] = "I missed the F1 final race" });
```

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example03_Arguments.cs

@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@ public static async Task RunAsync()
         Kernel kernel = new();
         var textPlugin = kernel.ImportPluginFromType<StaticTextPlugin>();
 
-        var arguments = new KernelArguments("Today is: ")
+        var arguments = new KernelArguments()
         {
+            ["input"] = "Today is: ",
             ["day"] = DateTimeOffset.Now.ToString("dddd", CultureInfo.CurrentCulture)
         };
 

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example05_InlineFunctionDefinition.cs

@@ -49,10 +49,10 @@ Be creative and be funny. Let your imagination run wild.
 
         var excuseFunction = kernel.CreateFunctionFromPrompt(promptTemplate, new OpenAIPromptExecutionSettings() { MaxTokens = 100, Temperature = 0.4, TopP = 1 });
 
-        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new("I missed the F1 final race"));
+        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new() { ["input"] = "I missed the F1 final race" });
         Console.WriteLine(result.GetValue<string>());
 
-        result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new("sorry I forgot your birthday"));
+        result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new() { ["input"] = "sorry I forgot your birthday" });
         Console.WriteLine(result.GetValue<string>());
 
         var fixedFunction = kernel.CreateFunctionFromPrompt($"Translate this date {DateTimeOffset.Now:f} to French format", new OpenAIPromptExecutionSettings() { MaxTokens = 100 });

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example07_BingAndGooglePlugins.cs

@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ private static async Task Example1Async(Kernel kernel, string searchPluginName)
         // Run
         var question = "What's the largest building in the world?";
         var function = kernel.Plugins[searchPluginName]["search"];
-        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(function, new(question));
+        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(function, new() { ["input"] = question });
 
         Console.WriteLine(question);
         Console.WriteLine($"----{searchPluginName}----");

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example09_FunctionTypes.cs

@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ public async Task<string> Type03Async()
     [KernelFunction]
     public async Task<string> Type04Async(Kernel kernel)
     {
-        var summary = await kernel.InvokeAsync(kernel.Plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new("blah blah blah"));
+        var summary = await kernel.InvokeAsync(kernel.Plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new() { ["input"] = "blah blah blah" });
         Console.WriteLine($"Running function type 4 [{summary}]");
         return "";
     }

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example11_WebSearchQueries.cs

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public static async Task RunAsync()
 
         // Run
         var ask = "What's the tallest building in Europe?";
-        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(bing["BingSearchUrl"], new(ask));
+        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(bing["BingSearchUrl"], new() { ["input"] = ask });
 
         Console.WriteLine(ask + "\n");
         Console.WriteLine(result.GetValue<string>());

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example13_ConversationSummaryPlugin.cs

@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ private static async Task ConversationSummaryPluginAsync()
         KernelPlugin conversationSummaryPlugin = kernel.ImportPluginFromType<ConversationSummaryPlugin>();
 
         FunctionResult summary = await kernel.InvokeAsync(
-            conversationSummaryPlugin["SummarizeConversation"], new(ChatTranscript));
+            conversationSummaryPlugin["SummarizeConversation"], new() { ["input"] = ChatTranscript });
 
         Console.WriteLine("Generated Summary:");
         Console.WriteLine(summary.GetValue<string>());
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ private static async Task GetConversationActionItemsAsync()
         KernelPlugin conversationSummary = kernel.ImportPluginFromType<ConversationSummaryPlugin>();
 
         FunctionResult summary = await kernel.InvokeAsync(
-            conversationSummary["GetConversationActionItems"], new(ChatTranscript));
+            conversationSummary["GetConversationActionItems"], new() { ["input"] = ChatTranscript });
 
         Console.WriteLine("Generated Action Items:");
         Console.WriteLine(summary.GetValue<string>());
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ private static async Task GetConversationTopicsAsync()
         KernelPlugin conversationSummary = kernel.ImportPluginFromType<ConversationSummaryPlugin>();
 
         FunctionResult summary = await kernel.InvokeAsync(
-            conversationSummary["GetConversationTopics"], new(ChatTranscript));
+            conversationSummary["GetConversationTopics"], new() { ["input"] = ChatTranscript });
 
         Console.WriteLine("Generated Topics:");
         Console.WriteLine(summary.GetValue<string>());

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example15_TextMemoryPlugin.cs

@@ -200,8 +200,9 @@ private static async Task RunWithStoreAsync(IMemoryStore memoryStore, Cancellati
 
         // Save a memory with the Kernel
         Console.WriteLine("Saving memory with key 'info5': \"My family is from New York\"");
-        await kernel.InvokeAsync(memoryPlugin["Save"], new("My family is from New York")
+        await kernel.InvokeAsync(memoryPlugin["Save"], new()
         {
+            [TextMemoryPlugin.InputParam] = "My family is from New York",
             [TextMemoryPlugin.CollectionParam] = MemoryCollectionName,
             [TextMemoryPlugin.KeyParam] = "info5",
         }, cancellationToken);
@@ -242,8 +243,9 @@ private static async Task RunWithStoreAsync(IMemoryStore memoryStore, Cancellati
         Console.WriteLine("== PART 3b: Recall (similarity search) with Kernel and TextMemoryPlugin 'Recall' function ==");
         Console.WriteLine("Ask: where do I live?");
 
-        result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(memoryPlugin["Recall"], new("Ask: where do I live?")
+        result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(memoryPlugin["Recall"], new()
         {
+            [TextMemoryPlugin.InputParam] = "Ask: where do I live?",
             [TextMemoryPlugin.CollectionParam] = MemoryCollectionName,
             [TextMemoryPlugin.LimitParam] = "2",
             [TextMemoryPlugin.RelevanceParam] = "0.79",
@@ -289,8 +291,9 @@ END FACTS
 
         var aboutMeOracle = kernel.CreateFunctionFromPrompt(RecallFunctionDefinition, new OpenAIPromptExecutionSettings() { MaxTokens = 100 });
 
-        result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(aboutMeOracle, new("Do I live in the same town where I grew up?")
+        result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(aboutMeOracle, new()
         {
+            [TextMemoryPlugin.InputParam] = "Do I live in the same town where I grew up?",
             [TextMemoryPlugin.CollectionParam] = MemoryCollectionName,
             [TextMemoryPlugin.LimitParam] = "2",
             [TextMemoryPlugin.RelevanceParam] = "0.79",

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example16_CustomLLM.cs

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ private static async Task CustomTextGenerationWithSKFunctionAsync()
 
         const string Input = "Why AI is awesome";
         Console.WriteLine($"Function input: {Input}\n");
-        var result = await paragraphWritingFunction.InvokeAsync(kernel, new(Input));
+        var result = await paragraphWritingFunction.InvokeAsync(kernel, new() { ["input"] = Input });
 
         Console.WriteLine(result);
     }

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example20_HuggingFace.cs

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ private static async Task RunInferenceApiExampleAsync()
 
         var questionAnswerFunction = kernel.CreateFunctionFromPrompt("Question: {{$input}}; Answer:");
 
-        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(questionAnswerFunction, new("What is New York?"));
+        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(questionAnswerFunction, new() { ["input"] = "What is New York?" });
 
         Console.WriteLine(result.GetValue<string>());
     }
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ private static async Task RunLlamaExampleAsync()
 
         var questionAnswerFunction = kernel.CreateFunctionFromPrompt("Question: {{$input}}; Answer:");
 
-        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(questionAnswerFunction, new("What is New York?"));
+        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(questionAnswerFunction, new() { ["input"] = "What is New York?" });
 
         Console.WriteLine(result.GetValue<string>());
     }

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example27_PromptFunctionsUsingChatGPT.cs

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ public static async Task RunAsync()
         var func = kernel.CreateFunctionFromPrompt(
             "List the two planets closest to '{{$input}}', excluding moons, using bullet points.");
 
-        var result = await func.InvokeAsync(kernel, new("Jupiter"));
+        var result = await func.InvokeAsync(kernel, new() { ["input"] = "Jupiter" });
         Console.WriteLine(result.GetValue<string>());
 
         /*

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example40_DIContainer.cs

@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public async Task SummarizeAsync(string ask)
 
             var summarizePlugin = this._kernel.ImportPluginFromPromptDirectory(Path.Combine(folder, "SummarizePlugin"));
 
-            var result = await this._kernel.InvokeAsync(summarizePlugin["Summarize"], new(ask));
+            var result = await this._kernel.InvokeAsync(summarizePlugin["Summarize"], new() { ["input"] = ask });
 
             this._logger.LogWarning("Result - {0}", result.GetValue<string>());
         }

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example43_GetModelResult.cs

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public static async Task RunAsync()
         KernelFunction myFunction = kernel.CreateFunctionFromPrompt(FunctionDefinition);
 
         // Invoke function through kernel
-        FunctionResult result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(myFunction, new("travel"));
+        FunctionResult result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(myFunction, new() { ["input"] = "travel" });
 
         // Display results
         Console.WriteLine(result.GetValue<string>());

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example48_GroundednessChecks.cs

@@ -84,8 +84,9 @@ public static async Task GroundednessCheckingAsync()
 her a beggar. My father came to her aid and two years later they married.
 ";
 
-        KernelArguments variables = new(summaryText)
+        KernelArguments variables = new()
         {
+            ["input"] = summaryText,
             ["topic"] = "people and places",
             ["example_entities"] = "John, Jane, mother, brother, Paris, Rome"
         };

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example52_ApimAuth.cs

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public static async Task RunAsync()
         // Run
         var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(
             kernel.Plugins["FunPlugin"]["Excuses"],
-            new("I have no homework")
+            new() { ["input"] = "I have no homework" }
         );
         Console.WriteLine(result.GetValue<string>());
 

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example54_AzureChatCompletionWithData.cs

@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ private static async Task ExampleWithKernelAsync()
         var function = kernel.CreateFunctionFromPrompt("Question: {{$input}}");
 
         // First question without previous context based on uploaded content.
-        var response = await kernel.InvokeAsync(function, new(ask));
+        var response = await kernel.InvokeAsync(function, new() { ["input"] = ask });
 
         // Output
         // Ask: How did Emily and David meet?
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ private static async Task ExampleWithKernelAsync()
 
         // Second question based on uploaded content.
         ask = "What are Emily and David studying?";
-        response = await kernel.InvokeAsync(function, new(ask));
+        response = await kernel.InvokeAsync(function, new() { ["input"] = ask });
 
         // Output
         // Ask: What are Emily and David studying?

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example57_KernelHooks.cs

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ void MyPostExecutionHandler(object? sender, FunctionInvokedEventArgs e)
 
         // Invoke prompt to trigger execution hooks.
         const string Input = "I missed the F1 final race";
-        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new(Input));
+        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new() { ["input"] = Input });
         Console.WriteLine($"Function Result: {result}");
     }
 
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ void MyRenderedHandler(object? sender, PromptRenderedEventArgs e)
 
         // Invoke prompt to trigger prompt rendering hooks.
         const string Input = "I missed the F1 final race";
-        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new(Input));
+        var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(excuseFunction, new() { ["input"] = Input });
         Console.WriteLine($"Function Result: {result.GetValue<string>()}");
     }
 

dotnet/samples/KernelSyntaxExamples/Example70_Assistant.cs

@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ private static async Task RunAsFunctionAsync()
         try
         {
             // Invoke assistant plugin function.
-            KernelArguments arguments = new("Practice makes perfect.");
+            KernelArguments arguments = new() { ["input"] = "Practice makes perfect." };
 
             var kernel = new Kernel();
             var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(assistant.AsPlugin().Single(), arguments);

dotnet/samples/NCalcPlugins/LanguageCalculatorPlugin.cs

@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public async Task<string> CalculateAsync(
 
         try
         {
-            var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(this._mathTranslator, new(input)).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            var result = await kernel.InvokeAsync(this._mathTranslator, new() { ["input"] = input }).ConfigureAwait(false);
             answer = result?.GetValue<string>() ?? string.Empty;
         }
         catch (Exception ex)

dotnet/src/Extensions/Extensions.UnitTests/PromptTemplate/Handlebars/HandlebarsPromptTemplateTests.cs

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public HandlebarsPromptTemplateTests()
     {
         this._factory = new(TestConsoleLogger.LoggerFactory);
         this._kernel = new();
-        this._arguments = new(Guid.NewGuid().ToString("X"));
+        this._arguments = new() { ["input"] = Guid.NewGuid().ToString("X") };
     }
 
     [Fact]

dotnet/src/IntegrationTests/Connectors/OpenAI/OpenAICompletionTests.cs

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ namespace SemanticKernel.IntegrationTests.Connectors.OpenAI;
 
 public sealed class OpenAICompletionTests : IDisposable
 {
+    private const string InputParameterName = "input";
     private readonly IKernelBuilder _kernelBuilder;
     private readonly IConfigurationRoot _configuration;
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ public async Task OpenAITestAsync(string prompt, string expectedAnswerContains)
         IReadOnlyKernelPluginCollection plugins = TestHelpers.ImportSamplePlugins(target, "ChatPlugin");
 
         // Act
-        FunctionResult actual = await target.InvokeAsync(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new(prompt));
+        FunctionResult actual = await target.InvokeAsync(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new() { [InputParameterName] = prompt });
 
         // Assert
         Assert.Contains(expectedAnswerContains, actual.GetValue<string>(), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ public async Task OpenAIChatAsTextTestAsync(string prompt, string expectedAnswer
         IReadOnlyKernelPluginCollection plugins = TestHelpers.ImportSamplePlugins(target, "ChatPlugin");
 
         // Act
-        FunctionResult actual = await target.InvokeAsync(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new(prompt));
+        FunctionResult actual = await target.InvokeAsync(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new() { [InputParameterName] = prompt });
 
         // Assert
         Assert.Contains(expectedAnswerContains, actual.GetValue<string>(), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ public async Task CanUseOpenAiChatForTextGenerationAsync()
             "List the two planets after '{{$input}}', excluding moons, using bullet points.",
             new OpenAIPromptExecutionSettings());
 
-        var result = await func.InvokeAsync(target, new("Jupiter"));
+        var result = await func.InvokeAsync(target, new() { [InputParameterName] = "Jupiter" });
 
         Assert.NotNull(result);
         Assert.Contains("Saturn", result.GetValue<string>(), StringComparison.InvariantCultureIgnoreCase);
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ public async Task AzureOpenAIStreamingTestAsync(bool useChatModel, string prompt
 
         StringBuilder fullResult = new();
         // Act
-        await foreach (var content in target.InvokeStreamingAsync<StreamingKernelContent>(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new(prompt)))
+        await foreach (var content in target.InvokeStreamingAsync<StreamingKernelContent>(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new() { [InputParameterName] = prompt }))
         {
             fullResult.Append(content);
         };
@@ -167,7 +168,7 @@ public async Task AzureOpenAITestAsync(bool useChatModel, string prompt, string
         IReadOnlyKernelPluginCollection plugins = TestHelpers.ImportSamplePlugins(target, "ChatPlugin");
 
         // Act
-        FunctionResult actual = await target.InvokeAsync(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new(prompt));
+        FunctionResult actual = await target.InvokeAsync(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new() { [InputParameterName] = prompt });
 
         // Assert
         Assert.Contains(expectedAnswerContains, actual.GetValue<string>(), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ public async Task OpenAIHttpRetryPolicyTestAsync(string prompt, string expectedO
         IReadOnlyKernelPluginCollection plugins = TestHelpers.ImportSamplePlugins(target, "SummarizePlugin");
 
         // Act
-        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => target.InvokeAsync(plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new(prompt)));
+        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => target.InvokeAsync(plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new() { [InputParameterName] = prompt }));
 
         // Assert
         Assert.Contains(expectedOutput, this._testOutputHelper.GetLogs(), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
@@ -238,7 +239,7 @@ public async Task AzureOpenAIHttpRetryPolicyTestAsync(string prompt, string expe
         IReadOnlyKernelPluginCollection plugins = TestHelpers.ImportSamplePlugins(target, "SummarizePlugin");
 
         // Act
-        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => target.InvokeAsync(plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new(prompt)));
+        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => target.InvokeAsync(plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new() { [InputParameterName] = prompt }));
 
         // Assert
         Assert.Contains(expectedOutput, this._testOutputHelper.GetLogs(), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
@@ -301,7 +302,7 @@ public async Task OpenAIHttpInvalidKeyShouldReturnErrorDetailAsync()
         IReadOnlyKernelPluginCollection plugins = TestHelpers.ImportSamplePlugins(target, "SummarizePlugin");
 
         // Act and Assert
-        var ex = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => target.InvokeAsync(plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new("Any")));
+        var ex = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => target.InvokeAsync(plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new() { [InputParameterName] = "Any" }));
 
         Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.Unauthorized, ((HttpOperationException)ex).StatusCode);
     }
@@ -326,7 +327,7 @@ public async Task AzureOpenAIHttpInvalidKeyShouldReturnErrorDetailAsync()
         IReadOnlyKernelPluginCollection plugins = TestHelpers.ImportSamplePlugins(target, "SummarizePlugin");
 
         // Act and Assert
-        var ex = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => target.InvokeAsync(plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new("Any")));
+        var ex = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => target.InvokeAsync(plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"], new() { [InputParameterName] = "Any" }));
 
         Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.Unauthorized, ((HttpOperationException)ex).StatusCode);
     }
@@ -352,7 +353,7 @@ public async Task AzureOpenAIHttpExceededMaxTokensShouldReturnErrorDetailAsync()
 
         // Act
         // Assert
-        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"].InvokeAsync(target, new(string.Join('.', Enumerable.Range(1, 40000)))));
+        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpOperationException>(() => plugins["SummarizePlugin"]["Summarize"].InvokeAsync(target, new() { [InputParameterName] = string.Join('.', Enumerable.Range(1, 40000)) }));
     }
 
     [Theory(Skip = "This test is for manual verification.")]
@@ -378,7 +379,7 @@ public async Task CompletionWithDifferentLineEndingsAsync(string lineEnding, AIS
         IReadOnlyKernelPluginCollection plugins = TestHelpers.ImportSamplePlugins(target, "ChatPlugin");
 
         // Act
-        FunctionResult actual = await target.InvokeAsync(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new(prompt));
+        FunctionResult actual = await target.InvokeAsync(plugins["ChatPlugin"]["Chat"], new() { [InputParameterName] = prompt });
 
         // Assert
         Assert.Contains(ExpectedAnswerContains, actual.GetValue<string>(), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);