@falai/agent 0.8.1 → 0.9.0-alpha-1

package/docs/core/conversation-flows/step-transitions.md

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+# Step Transitions & Conditional Logic
+
+The step transition system provides intelligent conversation flow control, enabling dynamic, context-aware progression through conversation routes. Unlike linear chatbots, this system can skip irrelevant steps, enforce dependencies, and adapt to user context.
+
+## Overview
+
+Step transitions handle:
+
+- **Conditional Skipping**: Skip steps based on collected data or context
+- **Dependency Enforcement**: Ensure prerequisite data exists before proceeding
+- **Branch Resolution**: Handle multiple possible next steps
+- **Route Completion**: Detect when routes reach their end
+- **Loop Prevention**: Avoid infinite traversal in complex flows
+
+## Conditional Skipping
+
+### SkipIf Logic
+
+The `skipIf` function determines whether a step should be bypassed:
+
+```typescript
+const smartRoute = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "Smart Onboarding",
+
+    initialStep: {
+      prompt: "What's your name?",
+      collect: ["name"],
+      skipIf: (data) => data.name !== undefined, // Skip if name already known
+    },
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "What's your email, {{name}}?",
+    collect: ["email"],
+    requires: ["name"], // Must have name to proceed
+    skipIf: (data) => data.email !== undefined, // Skip if email already known
+  });
+```
+
+### Common SkipIf Patterns
+
+```typescript
+// Skip based on user preferences
+skipIf: (data) => data.skipNewsletterSignup === true;
+
+// Skip if data already exists
+skipIf: (data) => data.userProfile?.completed === true;
+
+// Skip based on external conditions
+skipIf: (data) => {
+  const now = new Date();
+  const lastContact = data.lastContactDate;
+  return lastContact && now - lastContact < 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000; // Within 24 hours
+};
+
+// Skip based on user type
+skipIf: (data) => data.userType === "premium" && data.onboardingComplete;
+```
+
+## Dependency Enforcement
+
+### Requires Validation
+
+The `requires` array ensures prerequisite data exists:
+
+```typescript
+const dependentRoute = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "Dependent Collection",
+
+    initialStep: {
+      prompt: "What's your name?",
+      collect: ["name"],
+    },
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "What's your email address?",
+    collect: ["email"],
+    requires: ["name"], // Cannot proceed without name
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "Should I send updates to {{email}}?",
+    collect: ["emailConsent"],
+    requires: ["name", "email"], // Needs both name and email
+  });
+```
+
+### Complex Requirements
+
+```typescript
+const complexRequirements = {
+  prompt: "Let's schedule your appointment.",
+  collect: ["appointmentDate", "appointmentTime"],
+  requires: [
+    "name", // Basic info
+    "email", // Contact info
+    "serviceType", // What service they want
+    "availability", // When they're available
+  ],
+  skipIf: (data) => {
+    // Skip if appointment already scheduled
+    return data.appointmentId !== undefined;
+  },
+};
+```
+
+## Step Traversal Logic
+
+### Candidate Step Algorithm
+
+The system uses a sophisticated algorithm to find valid next steps:
+
+```typescript
+// 1. Start with current step's direct transitions
+const transitions = currentStep.getTransitions();
+
+// 2. For each transition, evaluate:
+for (const transition of transitions) {
+  // Check for END_ROUTE marker
+  if (transition.id === END_ROUTE_ID) {
+    return { isRouteComplete: true };
+  }
+
+  // Skip steps that should be skipped
+  if (transition.shouldSkip(data)) {
+    // Recursively traverse to find next valid step
+    continue;
+  }
+
+  // Check if step has required data
+  if (!transition.hasRequires(data)) {
+    // Step cannot be entered yet
+    continue;
+  }
+
+  // Found valid step
+  return { step: transition };
+}
+```
+
+### Recursive Traversal
+
+For complex flows with skipIf conditions:
+
+```typescript
+// Example flow: A -> B -> C -> END
+// If user has already completed B, skip to C
+// If B and C are complete, route is done
+
+const flow = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "Complex Flow",
+
+    initialStep: {
+      /* Step A */
+    },
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "Step B content",
+    skipIf: (data) => data.stepBComplete,
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "Step C content",
+    skipIf: (data) => data.stepCComplete,
+    requires: ["stepBComplete"],
+  })
+  .endRoute();
+```
+
+## Branching Logic
+
+### Branch Evaluation
+
+When multiple branches exist, the system evaluates each:
+
+```typescript
+const branchingRoute = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "Multi-Path Flow",
+
+    initialStep: {
+      prompt: "What type of help do you need?",
+      collect: ["helpType"],
+    },
+  })
+  .branch([
+    {
+      name: "technical",
+      step: {
+        prompt: "Technical support question?",
+        collect: ["techIssue"],
+        requires: ["helpType"],
+        when: "if helpType indicates technical issue",
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      name: "billing",
+      step: {
+        prompt: "Billing question?",
+        collect: ["billingIssue"],
+        requires: ["helpType"],
+        when: "if helpType indicates billing issue",
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      name: "general",
+      step: {
+        prompt: "General question?",
+        collect: ["generalQuestion"],
+        requires: ["helpType"],
+        // No 'when' condition - fallback branch
+      },
+    },
+  ]);
+```
+
+### Branch Resolution
+
+```typescript
+// The routing engine evaluates branches and selects the best path
+// 1. Check explicit 'when' conditions (AI-evaluated)
+// 2. Fall back to branches without conditions
+// 3. Allow multiple branches if no clear winner
+
+// Access specific branches for chaining
+const techBranch = branchingRoute.branches.technical.nextStep({
+  prompt: "Let me help with that technical issue...",
+  requires: ["techIssue"],
+});
+```
+
+## Route Completion
+
+### End Route Detection
+
+Routes complete when reaching END_ROUTE:
+
+```typescript
+const completeRoute = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "Task Completion",
+
+    initialStep: { prompt: "What task?", collect: ["task"] },
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "I'll help with {{task}}",
+    requires: ["task"],
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "Task details?",
+    collect: ["details"],
+    requires: ["task"],
+  })
+  .endRoute({
+    prompt: "Task completed! Anything else?",
+    collect: ["satisfaction"], // Optional final collection
+  });
+```
+
+### Completion Handlers
+
+```typescript
+const routeWithCompletion = agent.createRoute({
+  title: "Workflow",
+
+  // Simple string transition
+  onComplete: "feedback-route",
+
+  // Or conditional transition
+  // onComplete: {
+  //   nextStep: "success-route",
+  //   condition: "if workflow succeeded"
+  // }
+
+  // Or dynamic transition
+  // onComplete: async (session, context) => {
+  //   if (session.data?.success) return "success-route";
+  //   return "retry-route";
+  // }
+});
+```
+
+## Advanced Transition Patterns
+
+### Circular Flows
+
+Handle repeating patterns with proper termination:
+
+```typescript
+const iterativeRoute = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "Iterative Collection",
+
+    initialStep: {
+      prompt: "Add an item (or 'done' to finish)",
+      collect: ["currentItem"],
+    },
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "Item added: {{currentItem}}. Add another?",
+    collect: ["continue"],
+    requires: ["currentItem"],
+    skipIf: (data) => data.continue === false || data.currentItem === "done",
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "Add another item?",
+    collect: ["currentItem"],
+    requires: ["continue"],
+    // Loops back to previous step
+  });
+```
+
+### State-Based Transitions
+
+```typescript
+const statefulRoute = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "State Machine",
+
+    initialStep: {
+      prompt: "What's your current status?",
+      collect: ["status"],
+    },
+  })
+  .branch([
+    {
+      name: "new",
+      step: {
+        prompt: "Welcome! Let's get you started.",
+        collect: ["onboardingData"],
+        when: "if status is 'new'",
+        skipIf: (data) => data.status !== "new",
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      name: "returning",
+      step: {
+        prompt: "Welcome back! What can I help with?",
+        collect: ["request"],
+        when: "if status is 'returning'",
+        skipIf: (data) => data.status !== "returning",
+      },
+    },
+  ]);
+```
+
+## Lifecycle Integration
+
+### Prepare and Finalize Hooks
+
+```typescript
+const hookedRoute = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "Lifecycle Demo",
+
+    initialStep: {
+      prompt: "Starting process...",
+      prepare: async (context, data) => {
+        // Setup before AI responds
+        console.log("Preparing step with context:", context);
+        console.log("Current data:", data);
+      },
+      finalize: async (context, data) => {
+        // Cleanup after AI responds
+        console.log("Step completed with data:", data);
+        await saveProgress(data);
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt: "Process step...",
+    prepare: (context, data) => {
+      // Validate state before proceeding
+      if (!data.requiredField) {
+        throw new Error("Missing required field");
+      }
+    },
+  });
+```
+
+### Route-Level Hooks
+
+```typescript
+const routeWithHooks = agent.createRoute({
+  title: "Route Lifecycle",
+
+  hooks: {
+    onDataUpdate: (newData, previousData) => {
+      // Validate data changes across the route
+      if (newData.criticalField && !isValid(newData.criticalField)) {
+        throw new Error("Invalid critical field");
+      }
+      return newData;
+    },
+
+    onContextUpdate: (newContext, previousContext) => {
+      // React to context changes
+      console.log("Route context updated");
+    },
+  },
+});
+```
+
+## Error Handling & Recovery
+
+### Transition Validation
+
+```typescript
+const robustRoute = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "Error Handling",
+
+    initialStep: {
+      prompt: "What would you like to do?",
+      collect: ["action"],
+      finalize: async (context, data) => {
+        try {
+          await validateAction(data.action);
+        } catch (error) {
+          // Set error state for recovery
+          data.actionError = error.message;
+          data.needsRecovery = true;
+        }
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  .nextStep({
+    prompt:
+      "There was an issue with your request: {{actionError}}. Please try again.",
+    collect: ["action"],
+    skipIf: (data) => !data.needsRecovery,
+    finalize: (context, data) => {
+      // Clear error state on successful retry
+      delete data.actionError;
+      delete data.needsRecovery;
+    },
+  });
+```
+
+### Recovery Patterns
+
+```typescript
+const recoveryRoute = agent
+  .createRoute({
+    title: "Recovery Flow",
+
+    // Normal flow
+    initialStep: {
+      /* normal steps */
+    },
+
+    // Recovery branch
+  })
+  .branch([
+    {
+      name: "normal",
+      step: {
+        /* normal processing */
+      },
+    },
+    {
+      name: "recovery",
+      step: {
+        prompt: "I encountered an error. Let's start over.",
+        collect: ["resetConfirmation"],
+        when: "if error state is detected",
+        finalize: (context, data) => {
+          // Reset problematic data
+          resetSessionData(data);
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  ]);
+```
+
+## Performance Considerations
+
+### Efficient Traversal
+
+```typescript
+// The system optimizes by:
+// 1. Using visited sets to prevent infinite loops
+// 2. Early termination on END_ROUTE detection
+// 3. Lazy evaluation of skipIf conditions
+// 4. Caching of validation results
+
+// Example of efficient validation
+skipIf: (data) => {
+  // Cache expensive operations
+  if (data._skipCache === undefined) {
+    data._skipCache = expensiveCheck(data);
+  }
+  return data._skipCache;
+};
+```
+
+### Memory Management
+
+```typescript
+// Clean up temporary data
+finalize: (context, data) => {
+  // Remove temporary fields
+  delete data._tempField;
+  delete data._skipCache;
+
+  // Compress large data structures if needed
+  if (data.largeArray?.length > 100) {
+    data.largeArray = data.largeArray.slice(-50); // Keep recent items
+  }
+};
+```
+
+## Debugging Transitions
+
+### Step Inspection
+
+```typescript
+// Inspect route structure
+console.log(route.describe());
+
+// Check step validity
+const step = route.getStep("step-id");
+console.log("Should skip:", step.shouldSkip(session.data));
+console.log("Has requirements:", step.hasRequires(session.data));
+
+// Get all transitions
+const transitions = step.getTransitions();
+console.log(
+  "Available transitions:",
+  transitions.map((s) => s.id)
+);
+```
+
+### Transition Tracing
+
+```typescript
+// Enable debug logging
+const agent = new Agent({
+  name: "Debug Agent",
+  debug: true, // Enables transition logging
+  provider: provider,
+});
+
+// Logs will show:
+// [RoutingEngine] Found valid step after skipping: step-3
+// [RoutingEngine] Route complete: all data collected, END_ROUTE reached
+// [Agent] Entered step: step-3
+```
+
+### Testing Transitions
+
+```typescript
+// Test step conditions
+const testData = { name: "John", email: "john@test.com" };
+
+const shouldSkip = step.shouldSkip(testData);
+const hasRequirements = step.hasRequires(testData);
+
+console.log(`Step ${step.id}:`);
+console.log(`- Should skip: ${shouldSkip}`);
+console.log(`- Has requirements: ${hasRequirements}`);
+console.log(`- Can proceed: ${!shouldSkip && hasRequirements}`);
+```
+
+## Best Practices
+
+### Transition Design
+
+1. **Clear Dependencies**: Make `requires` relationships obvious
+2. **Smart Skipping**: Use `skipIf` to avoid redundant interactions
+3. **Fail Fast**: Validate early to prevent invalid states
+4. **Recovery Paths**: Plan for error conditions and recovery flows
+
+### Performance
+
+1. **Efficient Conditions**: Cache expensive `skipIf` evaluations
+2. **Minimal Dependencies**: Avoid overly complex requirement chains
+3. **Early Termination**: Use END_ROUTE appropriately
+4. **Memory Cleanup**: Remove temporary data in finalize hooks
+
+### Maintainability
+
+1. **Descriptive IDs**: Use meaningful step and route identifiers
+2. **Documentation**: Comment complex transition logic
+3. **Testing**: Cover edge cases in transition logic
+4. **Monitoring**: Track transition success rates
+
+### User Experience
+
+1. **Natural Flow**: Make transitions feel conversational
+2. **Context Preservation**: Maintain conversation context across steps
+3. **Error Recovery**: Handle failures gracefully with clear recovery paths
+4. **Progress Indication**: Show users where they are in multi-step processes
+
+The step transition system enables sophisticated conversation flows that can adapt to user context, handle complex branching logic, and maintain data integrity throughout multi-turn interactions.

package/docs/core/conversation-flows/steps.md

@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+# Steps
+
+Steps are the building blocks of conversational routes in @falai/agent. This document covers step configuration, data collection, and transition logic.
+
+## Overview
+
+Steps represent individual moments in a conversation where the agent can:
+
+- Prompt the user for information
+- Collect structured data from responses
+- Execute tools or perform actions
+- Make decisions about conversation flow
+
+## Step Configuration
+
+```typescript
+const nameStep = bookingRoute.initialStep.nextStep({
+  prompt: "What's your name?",
+  collect: ["firstName", "lastName"],
+  requires: [], // No prerequisites
+  skipIf: (data) => data.firstName && data.lastName, // Skip if already collected
+});
+```
+
+## Step Types
+
+### Initial Steps
+
+The entry point for a route, executed when the route is first activated.
+
+### Sequential Steps
+
+Steps that follow each other in a linear progression using `nextStep()`.
+
+### Branching Steps
+
+Steps that can lead to multiple paths using `branch()` with conditional logic.
+
+### Terminal Steps
+
+Steps that end the route using `END_ROUTE`.
+
+## Data Collection
+
+Steps collect data through the `collect` array, which maps to the route's JSON schema.
+
+```typescript
+const contactStep = nameStep.nextStep({
+  prompt: "What's your email and phone number?",
+  collect: ["email", "phone"],
+  requires: ["firstName"], // Must have name first
+});
+```
+
+## Conditional Logic
+
+Steps support various conditional behaviors:
+
+- `skipIf`: Skip the step if a condition is met
+- `requires`: Prerequisites that must be satisfied
+- `when`: AI-evaluated conditions for branching
+
+## Tool Integration
+
+Steps can execute tools before generating AI responses:
+
+```typescript
+const weatherStep = planningStep.nextStep({
+  prompt: "I'll check the weather for your destination",
+  tool: weatherLookupTool,
+  requires: ["destination", "travelDate"],
+});
+```
+
+## Step Transitions
+
+Steps define what happens next through transitions:
+
+```typescript
+// Simple next step
+step.nextStep({
+  /* next step config */
+});
+
+// Branching paths
+step.branch([
+  {
+    name: "optionA",
+    step: {
+      /* config */
+    },
+  },
+  {
+    name: "optionB",
+    step: {
+      /* config */
+    },
+  },
+]);
+
+// End route
+finalStep.nextStep({ step: END_ROUTE });
+```
+
+## Lifecycle Hooks
+
+Steps support `prepare` and `finalize` hooks for setup and cleanup:
+
+```typescript
+const dataStep = previousStep.nextStep({
+  prompt: "Collecting your information...",
+  collect: ["userData"],
+  prepare: async (context, data) => {
+    // Setup before AI response
+    console.log("Preparing data collection");
+  },
+  finalize: async (context, data) => {
+    // Cleanup after AI response
+    await saveProgress(data);
+  },
+});
+```
+
+## Best Practices
+
+- Keep step prompts clear and focused
+- Use appropriate `requires` and `skipIf` conditions
+- Leverage schema validation for data integrity
+- Implement error handling in lifecycle hooks
+- Consider user experience in step sequencing