---
title: FAQ
description: Short answers to the questions developers ask most often when picking up TnsAI for the first time.
---

# FAQ

## Which modules do I need for a simple agent?

`tnsai-core` plus `tnsai-llm`. Core gives you the agent runtime (roles, actions, capabilities, tool dispatch); LLM gives you the provider clients (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Ollama, and the others — see the [LLM provider matrix](../capabilities/llm/providers.md), or [`tnsai-llm` README](https://github.com/TnsAI-Framework/TnsAI/tree/main/tnsai-llm) on GitHub). Everything else (channels, MCP, intelligence, coordination, quality, evaluation) is opt-in once you actually need the capability.

→ [Module Overview](../start/module-overview.md) for the full map.

## Can I use TnsAI without annotations?

Yes. `AgentBuilder` accepts every part of the agent configuration programmatically — roles, tools, LLM clients, capabilities — so you can wire things up entirely from code if your project doesn't want annotation-driven discovery. Annotations are idiomatic and shorter, but they're not load-bearing for the runtime.

→ [Reference → Annotations](../reference/annotations/index.md) for the full reference.

## Does TnsAI require Java 21?

Yes. The framework leans on virtual threads, records, sealed types, and switch-on-sealed pattern matching that all landed in Java 21 LTS. The toolchain (Maven compiler plugin, surefire) is pinned to `release` 21 — there's no LTS-bridging build profile, and one isn't planned.

## Is TnsAI production-ready?

The framework is **pre-1.0**, which means the public API can shift between minor versions and there are no long-lived `@Deprecated` shims. We run it in production internally on our own workloads, and the test coverage gate is 80% per module. But if your project can't absorb the occasional 30-minute upgrade when a minor version lands, hold off until 1.0.

In practice: read the [changelog](changelog.md) before bumping versions, and lean on the [migration roadmap](migration.md) for releases that ship breaking changes.

## More questions?

If a question keeps coming up that isn't covered here, [open a discussion](https://github.com/TnsAI-Framework/TnsAI/discussions) and we'll add it. For bug reports use the issue tracker; for "how do I..." questions discussions are the right home.