Agent-Oriented Software Engineering

Preface

This is a systematic guide about the future form of software engineering. When large model agents possess powerful execution capabilities, human core value will completely shift from “How to implement” to “What to implement” and “Why implement it.”

This book systematically explores the complete path of transition from traditional software engineering to “Agent-Oriented Software Engineering.” Whether you are a technical manager, architect, developer, or entrepreneur, you can gain profound insights and practical guidelines about the future of software engineering from this book.

Reading Suggestions

  1. Progressive Reading: This book is organized in a progressive logic of “Understanding → Transition → Practice → Outlook,” it is recommended to read in order
  2. Combine with Practice: Each chapter comes with practical templates and checklists, it is recommended to try them out in your team while reading
  3. Continuous Iteration: Agent-oriented software engineering is still rapidly evolving, maintain an open mindset and continuously adjust your understanding

Core Concepts Overview

ConceptDefinition
IntentClear expression of “what is wanted” and “why,” rather than “how to do it”
Business IntentTop-level business goals, describing value propositions and business logic
Constraint NetworkFive-dimensional quality space from passive documentation to executable code (architecture, complexity, security, performance, maintainability), serving as the “quality contract” for human-AI collaboration and the “real-time textbook” for agents
Agent EngineerTechnical role evolving from the execution layer to the orchestration layer, acting as the “chief architect” commanding agent clusters to deliver complex systems

Table of Contents

Part I: Foundational Concepts

Part II: Evolution and Transformation

Part III: Practical Implementation

Part IV: Future Perspectives