Ask minimum and maximum size for blog post

AuthorAgent.cs

@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public AuthorAgent(IChatClient llm, ChatOptions chatOptions, ILogger<AuthorAgent
         _logger.LogInformation("AuthorAgent initialized.");
     }
 
-    public async Task<string> InvokeAsync(ResearchState state, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+    public async Task<string?> InvokeAsync(ResearchState state, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
     {
         using Activity? activity = s_activitySource.StartActivity("Author.Invoke");
         activity?.SetTag("blog.revision", state.RevisionNumber);
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ public async Task<string> InvokeAsync(ResearchState state, CancellationToken can
             Current Draft: {(string.IsNullOrEmpty(state.Draft) ? "(none — write the first draft)" : state.Draft)}
 
             Review Notes: {(string.IsNullOrEmpty(state.ReviewNotes) ? "(none)" : state.ReviewNotes)}
+
+            Target Word Count: {state.MinWords} to {state.MaxWords} words
             """;
 
         try
@@ -74,7 +76,13 @@ public async Task<string> InvokeAsync(ResearchState state, CancellationToken can
             });
             AgentResponse response = await _agent.RunAsync(message, options: runOptions, cancellationToken: cancellationToken);
             string content = response.Text;
-            return !string.IsNullOrEmpty(content) ? content : "Draft in progress...";
+            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(content))
+            {
+                return content;
+            }
+
+            _logger.LogWarning("Author agent returned no content for revision {Revision}.", state.RevisionNumber);
+            return null;
         }
         catch (TokenCapExceededException)
         {
@@ -84,7 +92,7 @@ public async Task<string> InvokeAsync(ResearchState state, CancellationToken can
         catch (Exception e)
         {
             _logger.LogError(e, "Author agent failed to generate content.");
-            return "Error generating draft. Please try again.";
+            return null;
         }
     }
 
@@ -93,10 +101,20 @@ public async Task<ResearchState> AuthorNodeAsync(ResearchState state, Cancellati
     {
         _logger.LogInformation("Author stage started.");
 
-        string draft = await InvokeAsync(state, cancellationToken);
-        _logger.LogInformation("Draft created: {Length} characters", draft.Length);
+        string? draft = await InvokeAsync(state, cancellationToken);
+
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(draft))
+        {
+            // Keep whatever draft already exists rather than clobbering it with a
+            // placeholder — an empty/failed generation shouldn't erase real content.
+            _logger.LogWarning("Author agent produced no draft; keeping the previous draft (if any).");
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            state.Draft = draft;
+            _logger.LogInformation("Draft created: {Length} characters", draft.Length);
+        }
 
-        state.Draft = draft;
         state.RevisionNumber += 1;
         return state;
     }

IAuthorAgent.cs

@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ namespace BlogWriter;
 
 public interface IAuthorAgent
 {
-    Task<string> InvokeAsync(ResearchState state, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);
+    /// <summary>Returns the generated draft, or null if the agent produced no usable content.</summary>
+    Task<string?> InvokeAsync(ResearchState state, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);
 
     Task<ResearchState> AuthorNodeAsync(ResearchState state, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);
 }

Program.cs

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ string GetRequired(string key) =>
 
 var chatOptions = new ChatOptions
 {
-    Temperature = 0,
+    Temperature = 1,
     MaxOutputTokens = maxOutputTokens
 };
 
@@ -143,10 +143,44 @@ async Task<HttpResponseMessage> PostWithRetryAsync(string requestUri, object bod
 Console.Write("Enter your topic: ");
 string topic = Console.ReadLine() ?? string.Empty;
 
+int minWords = ReadWordCount(
+    $"Enter minimum word count [{ResearchState.DefaultMinWords}]: ",
+    ResearchState.DefaultMinWords);
+int maxWords = ReadWordCount(
+    $"Enter maximum word count [{ResearchState.DefaultMaxWords}]: ",
+    ResearchState.DefaultMaxWords,
+    minimum: minWords);
+
+// Prompts for a positive word count, re-asking until a valid value (or blank
+// for the default) is entered. `minimum`, when set, enforces max >= min.
+int ReadWordCount(string prompt, int defaultValue, int? minimum = null)
+{
+    while (true)
+    {
+        Console.Write(prompt);
+        string? input = Console.ReadLine();
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(input))
+        {
+            return defaultValue;
+        }
+
+        if (int.TryParse(input, out int value) && value > 0 && (minimum is null || value >= minimum))
+        {
+            return value;
+        }
+
+        Console.WriteLine(minimum is null
+            ? "Please enter a positive whole number."
+            : $"Please enter a whole number greater than or equal to {minimum}.");
+    }
+}
+
 // Run the workflow for the entered topic
 var initialState = new ResearchState
 {
-    MainTask = topic
+    MainTask = topic,
+    MinWords = minWords,
+    MaxWords = maxWords
 };
 
 // Ctrl+C requests a graceful cancellation of the in-flight run instead of an
@@ -192,6 +226,12 @@ async Task<HttpResponseMessage> PostWithRetryAsync(string requestUri, object bod
 Console.WriteLine($"\nDraft:\n{result.Draft}");
 Console.WriteLine($"\nReview Notes: {result.ReviewNotes}");
 Console.WriteLine($"Revision Number: {result.RevisionNumber}");
+if (result.RevisionNumber >= ResearchState.MaxRevisions)
+{
+    // The revision cap terminates the loop even if the reviewer never approved —
+    // call that out so the draft above isn't mistaken for a reviewer-approved one.
+    Console.WriteLine("Note: Maximum revision limit reached; draft above printed as-is.");
+}
 Console.WriteLine("=============================");
 
 if (tokenCapChatClient is not null)

Prompts.cs

@@ -49,41 +49,41 @@ focused on .NET and AI with examples in C# and Python.
 """;
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Author system prompt. The task, research findings, current draft and review
-    /// notes are supplied as the user message each turn.
+    /// Author system prompt. The task, research findings, current draft, review
+    /// notes, and target word count are supplied as the user message each turn.
     /// </summary>
     public const string AuthorInstructions = """
 You are a professional blogger.
 
 The user message contains the main task, the research findings, the current
-draft (if any) and any reviewer notes.
+draft (if any), any reviewer notes, and the target word count range.
 
 Instructions:
 - If this is the first draft (no current draft), create a comprehensive post based on the findings
 - If there is a current draft and review notes, revise the draft to address all feedback
 - Use a professional tone
-
-- Aim for 1000 to 2000 words.
+- Aim for the target word count range given in the user message.
 
 Write the complete post.
 """;
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Reviewer system prompt. The task and the draft to review are supplied as the
-    /// user message.
+    /// Reviewer system prompt. The task, the target word count range, and the draft
+    /// to review are supplied as the user message.
     /// </summary>
     public const string ReviewerInstructions = """
 You are a reviewer evaluating content for a blog post.
 
-The user message contains the main task and the draft to review.
+The user message contains the main task, the target word count range, and the
+draft to review.
 
 Evaluate the draft based on:
 1. Hook Strength – Does the opening grab attention?
 2. Clarity – Is the message easy to understand?
 3. Value – Does the post offer real insights or lessons?
 4. Structure – Are paragraphs short?
 5. Tone – Is it authentic and professional?
-6. Size – Is the post between 1000 and 2000 words?
+6. Size – Is the post within the target word count range given in the user message?
 
 
 Respond with one of:

ResearchState.cs

@@ -9,7 +9,19 @@ public class ResearchState
     /// <summary>The single source-of-truth marker written to <see cref="ReviewNotes"/> on approval.</summary>
     public const string ApprovedMarker = "APPROVED";
 
+    /// <summary>Default lower bound on the target word count for the blog post.</summary>
+    public const int DefaultMinWords = 1000;
+
+    /// <summary>Default upper bound on the target word count for the blog post.</summary>
+    public const int DefaultMaxWords = 2000;
+
     public string MainTask { get; set; } = "";
+
+    /// <summary>Minimum target word count for the draft. Used by the author and reviewer stages.</summary>
+    public int MinWords { get; set; } = DefaultMinWords;
+
+    /// <summary>Maximum target word count for the draft. Used by the author and reviewer stages.</summary>
+    public int MaxWords { get; set; } = DefaultMaxWords;
     public List<string> ResearchFindings { get; set; } = [];
     public string Draft { get; set; } = "";
     public string ReviewNotes { get; set; } = "";

ReviewerAgent.cs

@@ -52,17 +52,13 @@ public async Task<string> InvokeAsync(ResearchState state, CancellationToken can
         activity?.SetTag("blog.revision", state.RevisionNumber);
 
         string draft = state.Draft;
-        int revisionNum = state.RevisionNumber;
-
-        if (revisionNum >= ResearchState.MaxRevisions)
-        {
-            return "APPROVED - Maximum revisions reached.";
-        }
 
         // Per-turn input only — the evaluation criteria are on the agent.
         string message = $"""
             Main Task: {state.MainTask}
 
+            Target Word Count: {state.MinWords} to {state.MaxWords} words
+
             Draft to Review:
             {draft}
             """;