Tool Composition Patterns
Complete summary and composition mastery
Your Progress
0 / 5 completedTool Composition: What You Have Mastered
You now understand how to combine individual tools into powerful, sophisticated workflows. You've learned three fundamental composition patterns and when to apply each one for maximum effectiveness.
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Composition Unlocks Complexity
Individual tools are building blocks. Composition transforms them into sophisticated workflows that solve real-world problems.
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Speed Comes from Parallelism
Sequential execution is intuitive but slow. Run independent tools in parallel to dramatically reduce total execution time.
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Intelligence Through Conditionals
Static workflows are predictable. Conditional logic makes agents adaptive, choosing the right tools based on runtime context.
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Patterns Are Reusable
Learn these composition patterns once, apply them everywhere. They work across domains, frameworks, and use cases.
Module Overview
1
Introduction
Why composition matters and pattern categories
2
Sequential Patterns
Step-by-step execution for dependent operations
3
Parallel Execution
Concurrent tool execution for independent tasks
4
Conditional Logic
Adaptive tool selection based on runtime context
Pattern Comparison Guide
Sequential
1x (baseline)
When: Tools depend on previous results
✓ Simple, predictable, easy to debug
⚠ Slow, total time is sum of all durations
Parallel
3-5x faster
When: Tools are independent
✓ Fast, efficient resource usage
⚠ Complex error handling, race conditions
Conditional
2-3x (avoids unnecessary work)
When: Tool choice depends on context
✓ Adaptive, optimizes resource usage
⚠ More branches to test and maintain
Hybrid
5-10x (combines all benefits)
When: Complex multi-step workflows
✓ Maximum flexibility and performance
⚠ Most complex to design and debug
Composition Workflow Checklist
Use this checklist when designing tool composition workflows
Identify tool dependencies (sequential vs parallel)
Planning
Map out decision points (where conditionals apply)
Planning
Design error handling for each pattern
Planning
Document execution flow and decision logic
Planning
Use sequential for dependent operations
Implementation
Use parallel for independent data gathering
Implementation
Use conditionals for adaptive behavior
Implementation
Combine patterns for complex workflows
Implementation
Log all decision points and tool choices
Implementation
Test each composition pattern independently
Testing
Test all conditional branches
Testing
Verify parallel execution handles failures
Testing
Measure and optimize execution time
Testing
Monitor pattern usage in production
Production
Track success rates per composition type
Production
Progress: 0 / 15 items completed
Best Practices for Tool Composition
Start Simple
Begin with sequential, add parallelism only when needed
Why:
Premature optimization adds complexity without proven benefit
Isolate Failures
One tool failure shouldnt crash the entire workflow
Why:
Partial results are often better than complete failure
Make Decisions Explicit
Log why each tool was chosen
Why:
Essential for debugging and understanding agent behavior
Measure Everything
Track execution time, success rate, and resource usage
Why:
Data-driven optimization beats intuition
Test All Paths
Every conditional branch, every parallel combination
Why:
Production will exercise paths you forgot to test
Continue Your Journey
You've mastered tool composition. Now learn how to handle errors gracefully when tools fail in complex workflows.
Next Module: Error Handling in Tools→