chore: import upstream snapshot with attribution

python/semantic_kernel/processes/local_runtime/local_kernel_process.py

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Copyright (c) Microsoft. All rights reserved.
+
+from enum import Enum
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+from semantic_kernel.exceptions.process_exceptions import ProcessInvalidConfigurationException
+from semantic_kernel.processes.local_runtime.local_event import KernelProcessEvent
+from semantic_kernel.processes.local_runtime.local_kernel_process_context import LocalKernelProcessContext
+from semantic_kernel.utils.feature_stage_decorator import experimental
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from semantic_kernel.kernel import Kernel
+    from semantic_kernel.processes.kernel_process.kernel_process import KernelProcess
+
+
+@experimental
+async def start(
+    process: "KernelProcess",
+    kernel: "Kernel",
+    initial_event: KernelProcessEvent | str | Enum,
+    max_supersteps: int | None = None,
+    **kwargs,
+) -> LocalKernelProcessContext:
+    """Start the kernel process.
+
+    Args:
+        process: The kernel process to start.
+        kernel: The kernel instance.
+        initial_event: The initial event to start the process with.
+        max_supersteps: The maximum number of supersteps. This is the total number of times process steps will run.
+                Defaults to None, and thus the process will run its steps 100 times.
+        **kwargs: Additional keyword arguments.
+    """
+    if process is None:
+        raise ProcessInvalidConfigurationException("process cannot be None")
+    if process.state is None or not process.state.name:
+        raise ProcessInvalidConfigurationException("process state name cannot be empty")
+    if kernel is None:
+        raise ProcessInvalidConfigurationException("kernel cannot be None")
+    if initial_event is None:
+        raise ProcessInvalidConfigurationException("initial_event cannot be None")
+
+    initial_event_str: str | KernelProcessEvent = (
+        initial_event.value if isinstance(initial_event, Enum) else initial_event
+    )
+
+    if isinstance(initial_event_str, str):
+        initial_event_str = KernelProcessEvent(id=initial_event_str, data=kwargs.get("data"))
+
+    process_context = LocalKernelProcessContext(process, kernel, max_supersteps)
+    await process_context.start_with_event(initial_event_str)
+    return process_context