On September 14, 2023, Microsoft rolled out a significant update to the Microsoft Teams Toolkit with Microsoft Visual Studio 17.8 Preview 2, introducing an array of new Teams app templates designed to enhance productivity and streamline your Teams experience.
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Introducing the Echo Bot Template
This isn't just any bot—it echoes your input. It's an excellent tool for developing interactive bots that require user engagement.
- Discover the Link Unfurling Template: Revolutionize your messaging with our Message Extensions feature, which transforms standard URL links into interactive Adaptive Cards within your chat window.
- Meet the Custom Search Result Template: Go beyond conventional searching. Our Message Extensions technology allows you to search and display results directly within your chat area or search bar, eliminating the need for tab switching.
- New: Collect From Input and Process Data Template: This Action-type Message Extensions feature captures user input, executes logical processes, and instantly returns the results to you.
- Enhanced User Interface: It has optimized the UI to help you quickly find the template that best suits your needs. Handy filters and tags are now available for sorting among different template types.
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Conclusion
Microsoft's recent Teams Toolkit release has surpassed itself. Everyone can use the Echo Bot Template to make a chatbot more engaging or the Link Unfurling Template to spice up boring URLs. The Custom Search Result Template revolutionizes chat searching. You can locate what you need without leaving! Remember Action-type Message Extensions for fast data input and processing. The UI is sleeker and easier to use, making these fantastic layouts easy to navigate.
Image from: Microsoft Learn
Happy exploring!
More information about Visual Studio 17.8 Preview 2 at Microsoft Learn