# Introduction

[Using this link, Agent.Workbench can be found](https://github.com/EnFlexIT/AgentWorkbench) [on GitHub](https://github.com/EnFlexIT/AgentWorkbench).

![](/files/dTwhpyDlgPgzdI2EzMa7)

Agent.Workbench is an [Eclipse](https://www.eclipse.org/) / [OSGI ](https://www.osgi.org/)based application toolkit and framework that builds upon the agent platform [JADE](http://jade.tilab.com/). It supports the development of agent-based, end-user oriented [RCP applications](http://www.vogella.com/tutorials/EclipseRCP/article.html), that should finally enable non-programmers to use agent technologies for their own purposes.

Why did we start developing such a tool? First reason is that JADE is probably the most sophisticated, JAVA-based agent platform. It is widly used in academia and compliant to the [IEEE](https://www.ieee.org) / [FIPA ](http://www.fipa.org/)specifications. Since JADE was designed as middleware, the developer (Telecom Italia S.p.A. and other) especially focused on the actual core of the framework - agents and their interaction with their environment (which includes other agents and thus agent communication). In turn, besides some administrative tools, no effort was spent to address end-user needs, which is the second reason why we started developing Agent.Workbench several years ago.

Instead of running an agent system from the command line or starting the development of an agent-based application from the scratch, we believe that efforts should be reduced.

## History

The project was originally started under the name "Agent.GUI". It was moved from [Sourceforge](https://sourceforge.net/projects/agentgui/) in July 2017.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://enflexit.gitbook.io/agent-workbench/readme.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.