diff --git a/docs/features/image-input.md b/docs/features/image-input.md index aa3bf2f64..1a3bde0a2 100644 --- a/docs/features/image-input.md +++ b/docs/features/image-input.md @@ -1,6 +1,9 @@ # Image Input -Send images to Copilot sessions by attaching them as file attachments. The runtime reads the file from disk, converts it to base64 internally, and sends it to the LLM as an image content block — no manual encoding required. +Send images to Copilot sessions as attachments. There are two ways to attach images: + +- **File attachment** (`type: "file"`) — provide an absolute path; the runtime reads the file from disk, converts it to base64, and sends it to the LLM. +- **Blob attachment** (`type: "blob"`) — provide base64-encoded data directly; useful when the image is already in memory (e.g., screenshots, generated images, or data from an API). ## Overview @@ -25,11 +28,12 @@ sequenceDiagram | Concept | Description | |---------|-------------| | **File attachment** | An attachment with `type: "file"` and an absolute `path` to an image on disk | -| **Automatic encoding** | The runtime reads the image, converts it to base64, and sends it as an `image_url` block | +| **Blob attachment** | An attachment with `type: "blob"`, base64-encoded `data`, and a `mimeType` — no disk I/O needed | +| **Automatic encoding** | For file attachments, the runtime reads the image and converts it to base64 automatically | | **Auto-resize** | The runtime automatically resizes or quality-reduces images that exceed model-specific limits | | **Vision capability** | The model must have `capabilities.supports.vision = true` to process images | -## Quick Start +## Quick Start — File Attachment Attach an image file to any message using the file attachment type. The path must be an absolute path to an image on disk. @@ -75,15 +79,15 @@ session = await client.create_session({ "on_permission_request": lambda req, inv: PermissionRequestResult(kind="approved"), }) -await session.send({ - "prompt": "Describe what you see in this image", - "attachments": [ +await session.send( + "Describe what you see in this image", + attachments=[ { "type": "file", "path": "/absolute/path/to/screenshot.png", }, ], -}) +) ``` @@ -215,9 +219,190 @@ await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions +## Quick Start — Blob Attachment + +When you already have image data in memory (e.g., a screenshot captured by your app, or an image fetched from an API), use a blob attachment to send it directly without writing to disk. + +
+Node.js / TypeScript + +```typescript +import { CopilotClient } from "@github/copilot-sdk"; + +const client = new CopilotClient(); +await client.start(); + +const session = await client.createSession({ + model: "gpt-4.1", + onPermissionRequest: async () => ({ kind: "approved" }), +}); + +const base64ImageData = "..."; // your base64-encoded image +await session.send({ + prompt: "Describe what you see in this image", + attachments: [ + { + type: "blob", + data: base64ImageData, + mimeType: "image/png", + displayName: "screenshot.png", + }, + ], +}); +``` + +
+ +
+Python + +```python +from copilot import CopilotClient +from copilot.types import PermissionRequestResult + +client = CopilotClient() +await client.start() + +session = await client.create_session({ + "model": "gpt-4.1", + "on_permission_request": lambda req, inv: PermissionRequestResult(kind="approved"), +}) + +base64_image_data = "..." # your base64-encoded image +await session.send( + "Describe what you see in this image", + attachments=[ + { + "type": "blob", + "data": base64_image_data, + "mimeType": "image/png", + "displayName": "screenshot.png", + }, + ], +) +``` + +
+ +
+Go + + +```go +package main + +import ( + "context" + copilot "github.com/github/copilot-sdk/go" +) + +func main() { + ctx := context.Background() + client := copilot.NewClient(nil) + client.Start(ctx) + + session, _ := client.CreateSession(ctx, &copilot.SessionConfig{ + Model: "gpt-4.1", + OnPermissionRequest: func(req copilot.PermissionRequest, inv copilot.PermissionInvocation) (copilot.PermissionRequestResult, error) { + return copilot.PermissionRequestResult{Kind: copilot.PermissionRequestResultKindApproved}, nil + }, + }) + + base64ImageData := "..." + mimeType := "image/png" + displayName := "screenshot.png" + session.Send(ctx, copilot.MessageOptions{ + Prompt: "Describe what you see in this image", + Attachments: []copilot.Attachment{ + { + Type: copilot.Blob, + Data: &base64ImageData, + MIMEType: &mimeType, + DisplayName: &displayName, + }, + }, + }) +} +``` + + +```go +mimeType := "image/png" +displayName := "screenshot.png" +session.Send(ctx, copilot.MessageOptions{ + Prompt: "Describe what you see in this image", + Attachments: []copilot.Attachment{ + { + Type: copilot.Blob, + Data: &base64ImageData, // base64-encoded string + MIMEType: &mimeType, + DisplayName: &displayName, + }, + }, +}) +``` + +
+ +
+.NET + + +```csharp +using GitHub.Copilot.SDK; + +public static class BlobAttachmentExample +{ + public static async Task Main() + { + await using var client = new CopilotClient(); + await using var session = await client.CreateSessionAsync(new SessionConfig + { + Model = "gpt-4.1", + OnPermissionRequest = (req, inv) => + Task.FromResult(new PermissionRequestResult { Kind = PermissionRequestResultKind.Approved }), + }); + + var base64ImageData = "..."; + await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions + { + Prompt = "Describe what you see in this image", + Attachments = new List + { + new UserMessageDataAttachmentsItemBlob + { + Data = base64ImageData, + MimeType = "image/png", + DisplayName = "screenshot.png", + }, + }, + }); + } +} +``` + + +```csharp +await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions +{ + Prompt = "Describe what you see in this image", + Attachments = new List + { + new UserMessageDataAttachmentsItemBlob + { + Data = base64ImageData, + MimeType = "image/png", + DisplayName = "screenshot.png", + }, + }, +}); +``` + +
+ ## Supported Formats -Supported image formats include JPG, PNG, GIF, and other common image types. The runtime reads the image from disk and converts it as needed before sending to the LLM. Use PNG or JPEG for best results, as these are the most widely supported formats. +Supported image formats include JPG, PNG, GIF, and other common image types. For file attachments, the runtime reads the image from disk and converts it as needed. For blob attachments, you provide the base64 data and MIME type directly. Use PNG or JPEG for best results, as these are the most widely supported formats. The model's `capabilities.limits.vision.supported_media_types` field lists the exact MIME types it accepts. @@ -283,10 +468,10 @@ These image blocks appear in `tool.execution_complete` event results. See the [S |-----|---------| | **Use PNG or JPEG directly** | Avoids conversion overhead — these are sent to the LLM as-is | | **Keep images reasonably sized** | Large images may be quality-reduced, which can lose important details | -| **Use absolute paths** | The runtime reads files from disk; relative paths may not resolve correctly | -| **Check vision support first** | Sending images to a non-vision model wastes tokens on the file path without visual understanding | -| **Multiple images are supported** | Attach several file attachments in one message, up to the model's `max_prompt_images` limit | -| **Images are not base64 in your code** | You provide a file path — the runtime handles encoding, resizing, and format conversion | +| **Use absolute paths for file attachments** | The runtime reads files from disk; relative paths may not resolve correctly | +| **Use blob attachments for in-memory data** | When you already have base64 data (e.g., screenshots, API responses), blob avoids unnecessary disk I/O | +| **Check vision support first** | Sending images to a non-vision model wastes tokens without visual understanding | +| **Multiple images are supported** | Attach several attachments in one message, up to the model's `max_prompt_images` limit | | **SVG is not supported** | SVG files are text-based and excluded from image processing | ## See Also diff --git a/docs/features/streaming-events.md b/docs/features/streaming-events.md index 81b27f80f..d03ed95fa 100644 --- a/docs/features/streaming-events.md +++ b/docs/features/streaming-events.md @@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ The user sent a message. Recorded for the session timeline. |------------|------|----------|-------------| | `content` | `string` | ✅ | The user's message text | | `transformedContent` | `string` | | Transformed version after preprocessing | -| `attachments` | `Attachment[]` | | File, directory, selection, or GitHub reference attachments | +| `attachments` | `Attachment[]` | | File, directory, selection, blob, or GitHub reference attachments | | `source` | `string` | | Message source identifier | | `agentMode` | `string` | | Agent mode: `"interactive"`, `"plan"`, `"autopilot"`, or `"shell"` | | `interactionId` | `string` | | CAPI interaction ID | diff --git a/dotnet/README.md b/dotnet/README.md index 712323c0c..6fba6654b 100644 --- a/dotnet/README.md +++ b/dotnet/README.md @@ -265,18 +265,33 @@ session.On(evt => ## Image Support -The SDK supports image attachments via the `Attachments` parameter. You can attach images by providing their file path: +The SDK supports image attachments via the `Attachments` parameter. You can attach images by providing their file path, or by passing base64-encoded data directly using a blob attachment: ```csharp +// File attachment — runtime reads from disk await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions { Prompt = "What's in this image?", Attachments = new List { - new UserMessageDataAttachmentsItem + new UserMessageDataAttachmentsItemFile { - Type = UserMessageDataAttachmentsItemType.File, - Path = "/path/to/image.jpg" + Path = "/path/to/image.jpg", + DisplayName = "image.jpg", + } + } +}); + +// Blob attachment — provide base64 data directly +await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions +{ + Prompt = "What's in this image?", + Attachments = new List + { + new UserMessageDataAttachmentsItemBlob + { + Data = base64ImageData, + MimeType = "image/png", } } }); diff --git a/dotnet/test/SessionTests.cs b/dotnet/test/SessionTests.cs index 8cd4c84e5..30a9135a5 100644 --- a/dotnet/test/SessionTests.cs +++ b/dotnet/test/SessionTests.cs @@ -538,6 +538,29 @@ public async Task DisposeAsync_From_Handler_Does_Not_Deadlock() await disposed.Task.WaitAsync(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10)); } + [Fact] + public async Task Should_Accept_Blob_Attachments() + { + var session = await CreateSessionAsync(); + + await session.SendAsync(new MessageOptions + { + Prompt = "Describe this image", + Attachments = + [ + new UserMessageDataAttachmentsItemBlob + { + Data = "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==", + MimeType = "image/png", + DisplayName = "test-pixel.png", + }, + ], + }); + + // Just verify send doesn't throw — blob attachment support varies by runtime + await session.DisposeAsync(); + } + private static async Task WaitForAsync(Func condition, TimeSpan timeout) { var deadline = DateTime.UtcNow + timeout; diff --git a/go/README.md b/go/README.md index f87c3d1b8..6ac23c146 100644 --- a/go/README.md +++ b/go/README.md @@ -178,9 +178,10 @@ Event types: `SessionLifecycleCreated`, `SessionLifecycleDeleted`, `SessionLifec ## Image Support -The SDK supports image attachments via the `Attachments` field in `MessageOptions`. You can attach images by providing their file path: +The SDK supports image attachments via the `Attachments` field in `MessageOptions`. You can attach images by providing their file path, or by passing base64-encoded data directly using a blob attachment: ```go +// File attachment — runtime reads from disk _, err = session.Send(context.Background(), copilot.MessageOptions{ Prompt: "What's in this image?", Attachments: []copilot.Attachment{ @@ -190,6 +191,19 @@ _, err = session.Send(context.Background(), copilot.MessageOptions{ }, }, }) + +// Blob attachment — provide base64 data directly +mimeType := "image/png" +_, err = session.Send(context.Background(), copilot.MessageOptions{ + Prompt: "What's in this image?", + Attachments: []copilot.Attachment{ + { + Type: copilot.Blob, + Data: &base64ImageData, + MIMEType: &mimeType, + }, + }, +}) ``` Supported image formats include JPG, PNG, GIF, and other common image types. The agent's `view` tool can also read images directly from the filesystem, so you can also ask questions like: diff --git a/go/internal/e2e/session_test.go b/go/internal/e2e/session_test.go index c3c9cc009..052ae1580 100644 --- a/go/internal/e2e/session_test.go +++ b/go/internal/e2e/session_test.go @@ -938,6 +938,48 @@ func TestSetModelWithReasoningEffort(t *testing.T) { } } +func TestSessionBlobAttachment(t *testing.T) { + ctx := testharness.NewTestContext(t) + client := ctx.NewClient() + t.Cleanup(func() { client.ForceStop() }) + + if err := client.Start(t.Context()); err != nil { + t.Fatalf("Failed to start client: %v", err) + } + + t.Run("should accept blob attachments", func(t *testing.T) { + ctx.ConfigureForTest(t) + + session, err := client.CreateSession(t.Context(), &copilot.SessionConfig{ + OnPermissionRequest: copilot.PermissionHandler.ApproveAll, + }) + if err != nil { + t.Fatalf("Failed to create session: %v", err) + } + + data := "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" + mimeType := "image/png" + displayName := "test-pixel.png" + _, err = session.Send(t.Context(), copilot.MessageOptions{ + Prompt: "Describe this image", + Attachments: []copilot.Attachment{ + { + Type: copilot.Blob, + Data: &data, + MIMEType: &mimeType, + DisplayName: &displayName, + }, + }, + }) + if err != nil { + t.Fatalf("Send with blob attachment failed: %v", err) + } + + // Just verify send doesn't error — blob attachment support varies by runtime + session.Disconnect() + }) +} + func getToolNames(exchange testharness.ParsedHttpExchange) []string { var names []string for _, tool := range exchange.Request.Tools { diff --git a/nodejs/README.md b/nodejs/README.md index af37b27bf..f8c86a806 100644 --- a/nodejs/README.md +++ b/nodejs/README.md @@ -298,9 +298,10 @@ See `SessionEvent` type in the source for full details. ## Image Support -The SDK supports image attachments via the `attachments` parameter. You can attach images by providing their file path: +The SDK supports image attachments via the `attachments` parameter. You can attach images by providing their file path, or by passing base64-encoded data directly using a blob attachment: ```typescript +// File attachment — runtime reads from disk await session.send({ prompt: "What's in this image?", attachments: [ @@ -310,6 +311,18 @@ await session.send({ }, ], }); + +// Blob attachment — provide base64 data directly +await session.send({ + prompt: "What's in this image?", + attachments: [ + { + type: "blob", + data: base64ImageData, + mimeType: "image/png", + }, + ], +}); ``` Supported image formats include JPG, PNG, GIF, and other common image types. The agent's `view` tool can also read images directly from the filesystem, so you can also ask questions like: diff --git a/nodejs/src/types.ts b/nodejs/src/types.ts index 9576b6925..9052bde52 100644 --- a/nodejs/src/types.ts +++ b/nodejs/src/types.ts @@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ export interface MessageOptions { prompt: string; /** - * File, directory, or selection attachments + * File, directory, selection, or blob attachments */ attachments?: Array< | { @@ -956,6 +956,12 @@ export interface MessageOptions { }; text?: string; } + | { + type: "blob"; + data: string; + mimeType: string; + displayName?: string; + } >; /** diff --git a/nodejs/test/e2e/session_config.test.ts b/nodejs/test/e2e/session_config.test.ts index 2984c3c04..e27421ebf 100644 --- a/nodejs/test/e2e/session_config.test.ts +++ b/nodejs/test/e2e/session_config.test.ts @@ -43,6 +43,25 @@ describe("Session Configuration", async () => { } }); + it("should accept blob attachments", async () => { + const session = await client.createSession({ onPermissionRequest: approveAll }); + + await session.send({ + prompt: "Describe this image", + attachments: [ + { + type: "blob", + data: "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==", + mimeType: "image/png", + displayName: "test-pixel.png", + }, + ], + }); + + // Just verify send doesn't throw — blob attachment support varies by runtime + await session.disconnect(); + }); + it("should accept message attachments", async () => { await writeFile(join(workDir, "attached.txt"), "This file is attached"); diff --git a/python/README.md b/python/README.md index 6d1c81281..5434a86fe 100644 --- a/python/README.md +++ b/python/README.md @@ -263,9 +263,10 @@ async def safe_lookup(params: LookupParams) -> str: ## Image Support -The SDK supports image attachments via the `attachments` parameter. You can attach images by providing their file path: +The SDK supports image attachments via the `attachments` parameter. You can attach images by providing their file path, or by passing base64-encoded data directly using a blob attachment: ```python +# File attachment — runtime reads from disk await session.send( "What's in this image?", attachments=[ @@ -275,6 +276,18 @@ await session.send( } ], ) + +# Blob attachment — provide base64 data directly +await session.send( + "What's in this image?", + attachments=[ + { + "type": "blob", + "data": base64_image_data, + "mimeType": "image/png", + } + ], +) ``` Supported image formats include JPG, PNG, GIF, and other common image types. The agent's `view` tool can also read images directly from the filesystem, so you can also ask questions like: diff --git a/python/copilot/__init__.py b/python/copilot/__init__.py index c25ea4021..03f8e89b7 100644 --- a/python/copilot/__init__.py +++ b/python/copilot/__init__.py @@ -8,10 +8,14 @@ from .session import CopilotSession from .tools import define_tool from .types import ( + Attachment, AzureProviderOptions, + BlobAttachment, ConnectionState, CustomAgentConfig, + DirectoryAttachment, ExternalServerConfig, + FileAttachment, GetAuthStatusResponse, GetStatusResponse, MCPLocalServerConfig, @@ -27,6 +31,7 @@ PingResponse, ProviderConfig, ResumeSessionConfig, + SelectionAttachment, SessionConfig, SessionContext, SessionEvent, @@ -44,12 +49,16 @@ __version__ = "0.1.0" __all__ = [ + "Attachment", "AzureProviderOptions", + "BlobAttachment", "CopilotClient", "CopilotSession", "ConnectionState", "CustomAgentConfig", + "DirectoryAttachment", "ExternalServerConfig", + "FileAttachment", "GetAuthStatusResponse", "GetStatusResponse", "MCPLocalServerConfig", @@ -65,6 +74,7 @@ "PingResponse", "ProviderConfig", "ResumeSessionConfig", + "SelectionAttachment", "SessionConfig", "SessionContext", "SessionEvent", diff --git a/python/copilot/types.py b/python/copilot/types.py index af124bb0a..0a6e98867 100644 --- a/python/copilot/types.py +++ b/python/copilot/types.py @@ -65,8 +65,19 @@ class SelectionAttachment(TypedDict): text: NotRequired[str] +class BlobAttachment(TypedDict): + """Inline base64-encoded content attachment (e.g. images).""" + + type: Literal["blob"] + data: str + """Base64-encoded content""" + mimeType: str + """MIME type of the inline data""" + displayName: NotRequired[str] + + # Attachment type - union of all attachment types -Attachment = FileAttachment | DirectoryAttachment | SelectionAttachment +Attachment = FileAttachment | DirectoryAttachment | SelectionAttachment | BlobAttachment # Configuration for OpenTelemetry integration with the Copilot CLI. diff --git a/python/e2e/test_session.py b/python/e2e/test_session.py index a2bc33bdb..272fd94a6 100644 --- a/python/e2e/test_session.py +++ b/python/e2e/test_session.py @@ -569,6 +569,33 @@ def on_event(event): assert event.data.new_model == "gpt-4.1" assert event.data.reasoning_effort == "high" + async def test_should_accept_blob_attachments(self, ctx: E2ETestContext): + session = await ctx.client.create_session( + {"on_permission_request": PermissionHandler.approve_all} + ) + + # 1x1 transparent PNG pixel, base64-encoded + pixel_png = ( + "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAY" + "AAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhg" + "GAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" + ) + + await session.send( + "Describe this image", + attachments=[ + { + "type": "blob", + "data": pixel_png, + "mimeType": "image/png", + "displayName": "test-pixel.png", + }, + ], + ) + + # Just verify send doesn't throw — blob attachment support varies by runtime + await session.disconnect() + def _get_system_message(exchange: dict) -> str: messages = exchange.get("request", {}).get("messages", []) diff --git a/test/scenarios/prompts/attachments/README.md b/test/scenarios/prompts/attachments/README.md index 8c8239b23..d61a26e57 100644 --- a/test/scenarios/prompts/attachments/README.md +++ b/test/scenarios/prompts/attachments/README.md @@ -11,19 +11,36 @@ Demonstrates sending **file attachments** alongside a prompt using the Copilot S ## Attachment Format +### File Attachment + | Field | Value | Description | |-------|-------|-------------| | `type` | `"file"` | Indicates a local file attachment | | `path` | Absolute path to file | The SDK reads and sends the file content to the model | +### Blob Attachment + +| Field | Value | Description | +|-------|-------|-------------| +| `type` | `"blob"` | Indicates an inline data attachment | +| `data` | Base64-encoded string | The file content encoded as base64 | +| `mimeType` | MIME type string | The MIME type of the data (e.g., `"image/png"`) | +| `displayName` | *(optional)* string | User-facing display name for the attachment | + ### Language-Specific Usage -| Language | Attachment Syntax | -|----------|------------------| +| Language | File Attachment Syntax | +|----------|------------------------| | TypeScript | `attachments: [{ type: "file", path: sampleFile }]` | | Python | `"attachments": [{"type": "file", "path": sample_file}]` | | Go | `Attachments: []copilot.Attachment{{Type: "file", Path: sampleFile}}` | +| Language | Blob Attachment Syntax | +|----------|------------------------| +| TypeScript | `attachments: [{ type: "blob", data: base64Data, mimeType: "image/png" }]` | +| Python | `"attachments": [{"type": "blob", "data": base64_data, "mimeType": "image/png"}]` | +| Go | `Attachments: []copilot.Attachment{{Type: copilot.Blob, Data: &data, MIMEType: &mime}}` | + ## Sample Data The `sample-data.txt` file contains basic project metadata used as the attachment target: diff --git a/test/snapshots/session/should_accept_blob_attachments.yaml b/test/snapshots/session/should_accept_blob_attachments.yaml new file mode 100644 index 000000000..89e5d47ed --- /dev/null +++ b/test/snapshots/session/should_accept_blob_attachments.yaml @@ -0,0 +1,8 @@ +models: + - claude-sonnet-4.5 +conversations: + - messages: + - role: system + content: ${system} + - role: user + content: Describe this image diff --git a/test/snapshots/session_config/should_accept_blob_attachments.yaml b/test/snapshots/session_config/should_accept_blob_attachments.yaml new file mode 100644 index 000000000..89e5d47ed --- /dev/null +++ b/test/snapshots/session_config/should_accept_blob_attachments.yaml @@ -0,0 +1,8 @@ +models: + - claude-sonnet-4.5 +conversations: + - messages: + - role: system + content: ${system} + - role: user + content: Describe this image