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Chatbot Concepts

PySpur allows you to create two types of Spurs: standard workflows and chatbots. This guide explains what chatbots are in PySpur, how they differ from standard workflows, and why you might want to use them.

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What Are Chatbots in PySpur?

In PySpur, a chatbot is a special type of workflow designed to handle conversational interactions. Unlike standard workflows that process data in a one-time execution flow, chatbots:
  • Maintain conversation history across multiple interactions
  • Process user messages and generate assistant responses
  • Handle user sessions to keep conversations separate
  • Support conversational context and state management

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How Chatbots Differ from Standard Workflows

FeatureStandard WorkflowChatbot
Input/Output StructureFlexible, user-definedFixed structure with specific fields
Session ManagementNot built-inAutomatic session tracking
Message HistoryNot availableAutomatically maintained
Execution ModelOne-time processingConversational, multi-turn
Primary Use CaseData processing, automationUser interactions, conversations

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Required Input/Output Fields

Chatbots in PySpur have a predefined structure to support conversations: Required Input Fields:
  • user_message (string): The message from the user
  • session_id (string): A unique identifier for the conversation session
  • message_history (array): Previous messages in the conversation (automatically managed)
Required Output Fields:
  • assistant_message (string): The response message from the chatbot

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When to Use Chatbots

Choose a chatbot Spur when you need to:
  • Create conversational interfaces for your users
  • Build customer support or information retrieval systems
  • Develop virtual assistants that remember context
  • Design interactive Q&A systems
Choose a standard workflow when you need to:
  • Process data in a one-time operation
  • Build automation pipelines without conversation
  • Create custom data transformations with flexible inputs/outputs
In the next section, we’ll walk through how to create and configure a chatbot in PySpur.