refactor(skills): update dspy-ruby skill to DSPy.rb v0.34.3 API (#162)

Rewrite all reference files, asset templates, and SKILL.md to use
current API patterns (.call(), result.field, T::Enum classes,
Tools::Base). Add two new reference files (toolsets, observability)
covering tools DSL, event system, and Langfuse integration.

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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Vicente Reig Rincón de Arellano
2026-02-09 19:01:43 +01:00
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commit e8f3bbcb35
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@@ -1,265 +1,674 @@
# DSPy.rb Core Concepts
## Philosophy
DSPy.rb enables developers to **program LLMs, not prompt them**. Instead of manually crafting prompts, define application requirements through code using type-safe, composable modules.
## Signatures
Signatures define type-safe input/output contracts for LLM operations. They specify what data goes in and what data comes out, with runtime type checking.
Signatures define the interface between application code and language models. They specify inputs, outputs, and a task description using Sorbet types for compile-time and runtime type safety.
### Basic Signature Structure
### Structure
```ruby
class TaskSignature < DSPy::Signature
description "Brief description of what this signature does"
class ClassifyEmail < DSPy::Signature
description "Classify customer support emails by urgency and category"
input do
const :field_name, String, desc: "Description of this input field"
const :another_field, Integer, desc: "Another input field"
const :subject, String
const :body, String
end
output do
const :result_field, String, desc: "Description of the output"
const :confidence, Float, desc: "Confidence score (0.0-1.0)"
const :category, String
const :urgency, String
end
end
```
### Type Safety
### Supported Types
Signatures support Sorbet types including:
- `String` - Text data
- `Integer`, `Float` - Numeric data
- `T::Boolean` - Boolean values
- `T::Array[Type]` - Arrays of specific types
- Custom enums and classes
| Type | JSON Schema | Notes |
|------|-------------|-------|
| `String` | `string` | Required string |
| `Integer` | `integer` | Whole numbers |
| `Float` | `number` | Decimal numbers |
| `T::Boolean` | `boolean` | true/false |
| `T::Array[X]` | `array` | Typed arrays |
| `T::Hash[K, V]` | `object` | Typed key-value maps |
| `T.nilable(X)` | nullable | Optional fields |
| `Date` | `string` (ISO 8601) | Auto-converted |
| `DateTime` | `string` (ISO 8601) | Preserves timezone |
| `Time` | `string` (ISO 8601) | Converted to UTC |
### Date and Time Types
Date, DateTime, and Time fields serialize to ISO 8601 strings and auto-convert back to Ruby objects on output.
```ruby
class EventScheduler < DSPy::Signature
description "Schedule events based on requirements"
input do
const :start_date, Date # ISO 8601: YYYY-MM-DD
const :preferred_time, DateTime # ISO 8601 with timezone
const :deadline, Time # Converted to UTC
const :end_date, T.nilable(Date) # Optional date
end
output do
const :scheduled_date, Date # String from LLM, auto-converted to Date
const :event_datetime, DateTime # Preserves timezone info
const :created_at, Time # Converted to UTC
end
end
predictor = DSPy::Predict.new(EventScheduler)
result = predictor.call(
start_date: "2024-01-15",
preferred_time: "2024-01-15T10:30:45Z",
deadline: Time.now,
end_date: nil
)
result.scheduled_date.class # => Date
result.event_datetime.class # => DateTime
```
Timezone conventions follow ActiveRecord: Time objects convert to UTC, DateTime objects preserve timezone, Date objects are timezone-agnostic.
### Enums with T::Enum
Define constrained output values using `T::Enum` classes. Do not use inline `T.enum([...])` syntax.
```ruby
class SentimentAnalysis < DSPy::Signature
description "Analyze sentiment of text"
class Sentiment < T::Enum
enums do
Positive = new('positive')
Negative = new('negative')
Neutral = new('neutral')
end
end
input do
const :text, String
end
output do
const :sentiment, Sentiment
const :confidence, Float
end
end
predictor = DSPy::Predict.new(SentimentAnalysis)
result = predictor.call(text: "This product is amazing!")
result.sentiment # => #<Sentiment::Positive>
result.sentiment.serialize # => "positive"
result.confidence # => 0.92
```
Enum matching is case-insensitive. The LLM returning `"POSITIVE"` matches `new('positive')`.
### Default Values
Default values work on both inputs and outputs. Input defaults reduce caller boilerplate. Output defaults provide fallbacks when the LLM omits optional fields.
```ruby
class SmartSearch < DSPy::Signature
description "Search with intelligent defaults"
input do
const :query, String
const :max_results, Integer, default: 10
const :language, String, default: "English"
end
output do
const :results, T::Array[String]
const :total_found, Integer
const :cached, T::Boolean, default: false
end
end
search = DSPy::Predict.new(SmartSearch)
result = search.call(query: "Ruby programming")
# max_results defaults to 10, language defaults to "English"
# If LLM omits `cached`, it defaults to false
```
### Field Descriptions
Always provide clear field descriptions using the `desc:` parameter. These descriptions:
- Guide the LLM on expected input/output format
- Serve as documentation for developers
- Improve prediction accuracy
Add `description:` to any field to guide the LLM on expected content. These descriptions appear in the generated JSON schema sent to the model.
```ruby
class ASTNode < T::Struct
const :node_type, String, description: "The type of AST node (heading, paragraph, code_block)"
const :text, String, default: "", description: "Text content of the node"
const :level, Integer, default: 0, description: "Heading level 1-6, only for heading nodes"
const :children, T::Array[ASTNode], default: []
end
ASTNode.field_descriptions[:node_type] # => "The type of AST node ..."
ASTNode.field_descriptions[:children] # => nil (no description set)
```
Field descriptions also work inside signature `input` and `output` blocks:
```ruby
class ExtractEntities < DSPy::Signature
description "Extract named entities from text"
input do
const :text, String, description: "Raw text to analyze"
const :language, String, default: "en", description: "ISO 639-1 language code"
end
output do
const :entities, T::Array[String], description: "List of extracted entity names"
const :count, Integer, description: "Total number of unique entities found"
end
end
```
### Schema Formats
DSPy.rb supports three schema formats for communicating type structure to LLMs.
#### JSON Schema (default)
Verbose but universally supported. Access via `YourSignature.output_json_schema`.
#### BAML Schema
Compact format that reduces schema tokens by 80-85%. Requires the `sorbet-baml` gem.
```ruby
DSPy.configure do |c|
c.lm = DSPy::LM.new('openai/gpt-4o-mini',
api_key: ENV['OPENAI_API_KEY'],
schema_format: :baml
)
end
```
BAML applies only in Enhanced Prompting mode (`structured_outputs: false`). When `structured_outputs: true`, the provider receives JSON Schema directly.
#### TOON Schema + Data Format
Table-oriented text format that shrinks both schema definitions and prompt values.
```ruby
DSPy.configure do |c|
c.lm = DSPy::LM.new('openai/gpt-4o-mini',
api_key: ENV['OPENAI_API_KEY'],
schema_format: :toon,
data_format: :toon
)
end
```
`schema_format: :toon` replaces the schema block in the system prompt. `data_format: :toon` renders input values and output templates inside `toon` fences. Only works with Enhanced Prompting mode. The `sorbet-toon` gem is included automatically as a dependency.
### Recursive Types
Structs that reference themselves produce `$defs` entries in the generated JSON schema, using `$ref` pointers to avoid infinite recursion.
```ruby
class ASTNode < T::Struct
const :node_type, String
const :text, String, default: ""
const :children, T::Array[ASTNode], default: []
end
```
The schema generator detects the self-reference in `T::Array[ASTNode]` and emits:
```json
{
"$defs": {
"ASTNode": { "type": "object", "properties": { ... } }
},
"properties": {
"children": {
"type": "array",
"items": { "$ref": "#/$defs/ASTNode" }
}
}
}
```
Access the schema with accumulated definitions via `YourSignature.output_json_schema_with_defs`.
### Union Types with T.any()
Specify fields that accept multiple types:
```ruby
output do
const :result, T.any(Float, String)
end
```
For struct unions, DSPy.rb automatically adds a `_type` discriminator field to each struct's JSON schema. The LLM returns `_type` in its response, and DSPy converts the hash to the correct struct instance.
```ruby
class CreateTask < T::Struct
const :title, String
const :priority, String
end
class DeleteTask < T::Struct
const :task_id, String
const :reason, T.nilable(String)
end
class TaskRouter < DSPy::Signature
description "Route user request to the appropriate task action"
input do
const :request, String
end
output do
const :action, T.any(CreateTask, DeleteTask)
end
end
result = DSPy::Predict.new(TaskRouter).call(request: "Create a task for Q4 review")
result.action.class # => CreateTask
result.action.title # => "Q4 Review"
```
Pattern matching works on the result:
```ruby
case result.action
when CreateTask then puts "Creating: #{result.action.title}"
when DeleteTask then puts "Deleting: #{result.action.task_id}"
end
```
Union types also work inside arrays for heterogeneous collections:
```ruby
output do
const :events, T::Array[T.any(LoginEvent, PurchaseEvent)]
end
```
Limit unions to 2-4 types for reliable LLM comprehension. Use clear struct names since they become the `_type` discriminator values.
---
## Modules
Modules are composable building blocks that use signatures to perform LLM operations. They can be chained together to create complex workflows.
Modules are composable building blocks that wrap predictors. Define a `forward` method; invoke the module with `.call()`.
### Basic Module Structure
### Basic Structure
```ruby
class MyModule < DSPy::Module
class SentimentAnalyzer < DSPy::Module
def initialize
super
@predictor = DSPy::Predict.new(MySignature)
@predictor = DSPy::Predict.new(SentimentSignature)
end
def forward(input_hash)
@predictor.forward(input_hash)
def forward(text:)
@predictor.call(text: text)
end
end
analyzer = SentimentAnalyzer.new
result = analyzer.call(text: "I love this product!")
result.sentiment # => "positive"
result.confidence # => 0.9
```
**API rules:**
- Invoke modules and predictors with `.call()`, not `.forward()`.
- Access result fields with `result.field`, not `result[:field]`.
### Module Composition
Modules can call other modules to create pipelines:
Combine multiple modules through explicit method calls in `forward`:
```ruby
class ComplexWorkflow < DSPy::Module
class DocumentProcessor < DSPy::Module
def initialize
super
@step1 = FirstModule.new
@step2 = SecondModule.new
@classifier = DocumentClassifier.new
@summarizer = DocumentSummarizer.new
end
def forward(input)
result1 = @step1.forward(input)
result2 = @step2.forward(result1)
result2
def forward(document:)
classification = @classifier.call(content: document)
summary = @summarizer.call(content: document)
{
document_type: classification.document_type,
summary: summary.summary
}
end
end
```
### Lifecycle Callbacks
Modules support `before`, `after`, and `around` callbacks on `forward`. Declare them as class-level macros referencing private methods.
#### Execution order
1. `before` callbacks (in registration order)
2. `around` callbacks (before `yield`)
3. `forward` method
4. `around` callbacks (after `yield`)
5. `after` callbacks (in registration order)
```ruby
class InstrumentedModule < DSPy::Module
before :setup_metrics
after :log_metrics
around :manage_context
def initialize
super
@predictor = DSPy::Predict.new(MySignature)
@metrics = {}
end
def forward(question:)
@predictor.call(question: question)
end
private
def setup_metrics
@metrics[:start_time] = Time.now
end
def manage_context
load_context
result = yield
save_context
result
end
def log_metrics
@metrics[:duration] = Time.now - @metrics[:start_time]
end
end
```
Multiple callbacks of the same type execute in registration order. Callbacks inherit from parent classes; parent callbacks run first.
#### Around callbacks
Around callbacks must call `yield` to execute the wrapped method and return the result:
```ruby
def with_retry
retries = 0
begin
yield
rescue StandardError => e
retries += 1
retry if retries < 3
raise e
end
end
```
### Instruction Update Contract
Teleprompters (GEPA, MIPROv2) require modules to expose immutable update hooks. Include `DSPy::Mixins::InstructionUpdatable` and implement `with_instruction` and `with_examples`, each returning a new instance:
```ruby
class SentimentPredictor < DSPy::Module
include DSPy::Mixins::InstructionUpdatable
def initialize
super
@predictor = DSPy::Predict.new(SentimentSignature)
end
def with_instruction(instruction)
clone = self.class.new
clone.instance_variable_set(:@predictor, @predictor.with_instruction(instruction))
clone
end
def with_examples(examples)
clone = self.class.new
clone.instance_variable_set(:@predictor, @predictor.with_examples(examples))
clone
end
end
```
If a module omits these hooks, teleprompters raise `DSPy::InstructionUpdateError` instead of silently mutating state.
---
## Predictors
Predictors are the core execution engines that take signatures and perform LLM inference. DSPy.rb provides several predictor types.
Predictors are execution engines that take a signature and produce structured results from a language model. DSPy.rb provides four predictor types.
### Predict
Basic LLM inference with type-safe inputs and outputs.
Direct LLM call with typed input/output. Fastest option, lowest token usage.
```ruby
predictor = DSPy::Predict.new(TaskSignature)
result = predictor.forward(field_name: "value", another_field: 42)
# Returns: { result_field: "...", confidence: 0.85 }
classifier = DSPy::Predict.new(ClassifyText)
result = classifier.call(text: "Technical document about APIs")
result.sentiment # => #<Sentiment::Positive>
result.topics # => ["APIs", "technical"]
result.confidence # => 0.92
```
### ChainOfThought
Automatically adds a reasoning field to the output, improving accuracy for complex tasks.
Adds a `reasoning` field to the output automatically. The model generates step-by-step reasoning before the final answer. Do not define a `:reasoning` field in the signature output when using ChainOfThought.
```ruby
class EmailClassificationSignature < DSPy::Signature
description "Classify customer support emails"
class SolveMathProblem < DSPy::Signature
description "Solve mathematical word problems step by step"
input do
const :email_subject, String
const :email_body, String
const :problem, String
end
output do
const :category, String # "Technical", "Billing", or "General"
const :priority, String # "High", "Medium", or "Low"
const :answer, String
# :reasoning is added automatically by ChainOfThought
end
end
predictor = DSPy::ChainOfThought.new(EmailClassificationSignature)
result = predictor.forward(
email_subject: "Can't log in to my account",
email_body: "I've been trying to access my account for hours..."
)
# Returns: {
# reasoning: "This appears to be a technical issue...",
# category: "Technical",
# priority: "High"
# }
solver = DSPy::ChainOfThought.new(SolveMathProblem)
result = solver.call(problem: "Sarah has 15 apples. She gives 7 away and buys 12 more.")
result.reasoning # => "Step by step: 15 - 7 = 8, then 8 + 12 = 20"
result.answer # => "20 apples"
```
Use ChainOfThought for complex analysis, multi-step reasoning, or when explainability matters.
### ReAct
Tool-using agents with iterative reasoning. Enables autonomous problem-solving by allowing the LLM to use external tools.
Reasoning + Action agent that uses tools in an iterative loop. Define tools by subclassing `DSPy::Tools::Base`. Group related tools with `DSPy::Tools::Toolset`.
```ruby
class SearchTool < DSPy::Tool
def call(query:)
# Perform search and return results
{ results: search_database(query) }
class WeatherTool < DSPy::Tools::Base
extend T::Sig
tool_name "weather"
tool_description "Get weather information for a location"
sig { params(location: String).returns(String) }
def call(location:)
{ location: location, temperature: 72, condition: "sunny" }.to_json
end
end
predictor = DSPy::ReAct.new(
TaskSignature,
tools: [SearchTool.new],
class TravelSignature < DSPy::Signature
description "Help users plan travel"
input do
const :destination, String
end
output do
const :recommendations, String
end
end
agent = DSPy::ReAct.new(
TravelSignature,
tools: [WeatherTool.new],
max_iterations: 5
)
result = agent.call(destination: "Tokyo, Japan")
result.recommendations # => "Visit Senso-ji Temple early morning..."
result.history # => Array of reasoning steps, actions, observations
result.iterations # => 3
result.tools_used # => ["weather"]
```
Use toolsets to expose multiple tool methods from a single class:
```ruby
text_tools = DSPy::Tools::TextProcessingToolset.to_tools
agent = DSPy::ReAct.new(MySignature, tools: text_tools)
```
### CodeAct
Dynamic code generation for solving problems programmatically. Requires the optional `dspy-code_act` gem.
Think-Code-Observe agent that synthesizes and executes Ruby code. Ships as a separate gem.
```ruby
predictor = DSPy::CodeAct.new(TaskSignature)
result = predictor.forward(task: "Calculate the factorial of 5")
# The LLM generates and executes Ruby code to solve the task
# Gemfile
gem 'dspy-code_act', '~> 0.29'
```
## Multimodal Support
```ruby
programmer = DSPy::CodeAct.new(ProgrammingSignature, max_iterations: 10)
result = programmer.call(task: "Calculate the factorial of 20")
```
DSPy.rb supports vision capabilities across compatible models using the unified `DSPy::Image` interface.
### Predictor Comparison
| Predictor | Speed | Token Usage | Best For |
|-----------|-------|-------------|----------|
| Predict | Fastest | Low | Classification, extraction |
| ChainOfThought | Moderate | Medium-High | Complex reasoning, analysis |
| ReAct | Slower | High | Multi-step tasks with tools |
| CodeAct | Slowest | Very High | Dynamic programming, calculations |
### Concurrent Predictions
Process multiple independent predictions simultaneously using `Async::Barrier`:
```ruby
class VisionSignature < DSPy::Signature
description "Describe what's in an image"
require 'async'
require 'async/barrier'
input do
const :image, DSPy::Image
const :question, String
analyzer = DSPy::Predict.new(ContentAnalyzer)
documents = ["Text one", "Text two", "Text three"]
Async do
barrier = Async::Barrier.new
tasks = documents.map do |doc|
barrier.async { analyzer.call(content: doc) }
end
output do
const :description, String
end
end
barrier.wait
predictions = tasks.map(&:wait)
predictor = DSPy::Predict.new(VisionSignature)
result = predictor.forward(
image: DSPy::Image.from_file("path/to/image.jpg"),
question: "What objects are visible in this image?"
)
```
### Image Input Methods
```ruby
# From file path
DSPy::Image.from_file("path/to/image.jpg")
# From URL (OpenAI only)
DSPy::Image.from_url("https://example.com/image.jpg")
# From base64-encoded data
DSPy::Image.from_base64(base64_string, mime_type: "image/jpeg")
```
## Best Practices
### 1. Clear Signature Descriptions
Always provide clear, specific descriptions for signatures and fields:
```ruby
# Good
description "Classify customer support emails into Technical, Billing, or General categories"
# Avoid
description "Classify emails"
```
### 2. Type Safety
Use specific types rather than generic String when possible:
```ruby
# Good - Use enums for constrained outputs
output do
const :category, T.enum(["Technical", "Billing", "General"])
end
# Less ideal - Generic string
output do
const :category, String, desc: "Must be Technical, Billing, or General"
predictions.each { |p| puts p.sentiment }
end
```
### 3. Composable Architecture
Build complex workflows from simple, reusable modules:
Add `gem 'async', '~> 2.29'` to the Gemfile. Handle errors within each `barrier.async` block to prevent one failure from cancelling others:
```ruby
class EmailPipeline < DSPy::Module
def initialize
super
@classifier = EmailClassifier.new
@prioritizer = EmailPrioritizer.new
@responder = EmailResponder.new
end
def forward(email)
classification = @classifier.forward(email)
priority = @prioritizer.forward(classification)
@responder.forward(classification.merge(priority))
barrier.async do
begin
analyzer.call(content: doc)
rescue StandardError => e
nil
end
end
```
### 4. Error Handling
Always handle potential type validation errors:
### Few-Shot Examples and Instruction Tuning
```ruby
begin
result = predictor.forward(input_data)
rescue DSPy::ValidationError => e
# Handle validation error
logger.error "Invalid output from LLM: #{e.message}"
classifier = DSPy::Predict.new(SentimentAnalysis)
examples = [
DSPy::FewShotExample.new(
input: { text: "Love it!" },
output: { sentiment: "positive", confidence: 0.95 }
)
]
optimized = classifier.with_examples(examples)
tuned = classifier.with_instruction("Be precise and confident.")
```
---
## Type System
### Automatic Type Conversion
DSPy.rb v0.9.0+ automatically converts LLM JSON responses to typed Ruby objects:
- **Enums**: String values become `T::Enum` instances (case-insensitive)
- **Structs**: Nested hashes become `T::Struct` objects
- **Arrays**: Elements convert recursively
- **Defaults**: Missing fields use declared defaults
### Discriminators for Union Types
When a field uses `T.any()` with struct types, DSPy adds a `_type` field to each struct's schema. On deserialization, `_type` selects the correct struct class:
```json
{
"action": {
"_type": "CreateTask",
"title": "Review Q4 Report"
}
}
```
DSPy matches `"CreateTask"` against the union members and instantiates the correct struct. No manual discriminator field is needed.
### Recursive Types
Structs referencing themselves are supported. The schema generator tracks visited types and produces `$ref` pointers under `$defs`:
```ruby
class TreeNode < T::Struct
const :label, String
const :children, T::Array[TreeNode], default: []
end
```
## Limitations
The generated schema uses `"$ref": "#/$defs/TreeNode"` for the children array items, preventing infinite schema expansion.
Current constraints to be aware of:
- No streaming support (single-request processing only)
- Limited multimodal support through Ollama for local deployments
- Vision capabilities vary by provider (see providers.md for compatibility matrix)
### Nesting Depth
- 1-2 levels: reliable across all providers.
- 3-4 levels: works but increases schema complexity.
- 5+ levels: may trigger OpenAI depth validation warnings and reduce LLM accuracy. Flatten deeply nested structures or split into multiple signatures.
### Tips
- Prefer `T::Array[X], default: []` over `T.nilable(T::Array[X])` -- the nilable form causes schema issues with OpenAI structured outputs.
- Use clear struct names for union types since they become `_type` discriminator values.
- Limit union types to 2-4 members for reliable model comprehension.
- Check schema compatibility with `DSPy::OpenAI::LM::SchemaConverter.validate_compatibility(schema)`.