basic

+++ title = "Basic agent" description = "build a working agent from a CLI tool and run it" toc = true weight = 10 +++

This example builds an AI agent that speaks in cowsay bubbles.

The steps make a quick CLI application using App Builder and then drive it in various ways using the LLM.

The example needs an Anthropic API key, the cowsay application (try brew install cowsay) and fisk-ai installed.

Creating a CLI tool

This example uses Choria Application Builder to create a basic CLI tool that can say and think. Any command line tool built with Fisk works.

First create an ABTaskFile:

name: cowsay
description: Tools for the Cowsay LLM Agent
author: [email protected]

commands:
  - name: say
    description: Say something using a talking cow, does not accept emoji
    type: exec
    arguments:
      - name: message
        description: The message to send to the terminal
        required: true
        validate: is_shellsafe(value)
    command: |
      {{ default .Config.Cowsay "cowsay" }} {{ .Arguments.message | escape }}

  - name: think
    description: Think something using a thinking cow, does not accept emoji
    type: exec
    arguments:
      - name: message
        description: The message to send to the terminal
        required: true
        validate: is_shellsafe(value)
    command: |
      cowthink {{ .Arguments.message | escape }}

Now install appbuilder:

$ brew tap choria-io/tap
$ brew install appbuilder

Then confirm the CLI tool works:

$ abt
usage: abt [<flags>] <command> [<args> ...]

Tools for the Cowsay LLM Agent

Help: https://choria-io.github.io/appbuilder

Commands:
  help [<command>...]
  say <message>
  think <message>

$ abt say 'Hello AI'
 __________
< Hello AI >
 ----------
        \   ^__^
         \  (oo)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

Creating an LLM agent