langchain/README.md
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Thank you for contributing to LangChain!

- [ ] **PR title**: "package: description"
- Where "package" is whichever of langchain, community, core,
experimental, etc. is being modified. Use "docs: ..." for purely docs
changes, "templates: ..." for template changes, "infra: ..." for CI
changes.
  - Example: "community: add foobar LLM"


- [ ] **PR message**: ***Delete this entire checklist*** and replace
with
    - **Description:** a description of the change
    - **Issue:** the issue # it fixes, if applicable
    - **Dependencies:** any dependencies required for this change
- **Twitter handle:** if your PR gets announced, and you'd like a
mention, we'll gladly shout you out!


- [ ] **Add tests and docs**: If you're adding a new integration, please
include
1. a test for the integration, preferably unit tests that do not rely on
network access,
2. an example notebook showing its use. It lives in
`docs/docs/integrations` directory.


- [ ] **Lint and test**: Run `make format`, `make lint` and `make test`
from the root of the package(s) you've modified. See contribution
guidelines for more: https://python.langchain.com/docs/contributing/

Additional guidelines:
- Make sure optional dependencies are imported within a function.
- Please do not add dependencies to pyproject.toml files (even optional
ones) unless they are required for unit tests.
- Most PRs should not touch more than one package.
- Changes should be backwards compatible.
- If you are adding something to community, do not re-import it in
langchain.

If no one reviews your PR within a few days, please @-mention one of
baskaryan, efriis, eyurtsev, hwchase17.
2024-04-18 14:07:52 +00:00

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# 🦜️🔗 LangChain
⚡ Build context-aware reasoning applications ⚡
[![Release Notes](https://img.shields.io/github/release/langchain-ai/langchain)](https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchain/releases)
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[![](https://dcbadge.vercel.app/api/server/6adMQxSpJS?compact=true&style=flat)](https://discord.gg/6adMQxSpJS)
[![Open in Dev Containers](https://img.shields.io/static/v1?label=Dev%20Containers&message=Open&color=blue&logo=visualstudiocode)](https://vscode.dev/redirect?url=vscode://ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/cloneInVolume?url=https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchain)
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[![GitHub star chart](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/langchain-ai/langchain?style=social)](https://star-history.com/#langchain-ai/langchain)
[![Dependency Status](https://img.shields.io/librariesio/github/langchain-ai/langchain)](https://libraries.io/github/langchain-ai/langchain)
[![Open Issues](https://img.shields.io/github/issues-raw/langchain-ai/langchain)](https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchain/issues)
Looking for the JS/TS library? Check out [LangChain.js](https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchainjs).
To help you ship LangChain apps to production faster, check out [LangSmith](https://smith.langchain.com).
[LangSmith](https://smith.langchain.com) is a unified developer platform for building, testing, and monitoring LLM applications.
Fill out [this form](https://www.langchain.com/contact-sales) to speak with our sales team.
## Quick Install
With pip:
```bash
pip install langchain
```
With conda:
```bash
conda install langchain -c conda-forge
```
## 🤔 What is LangChain?
**LangChain** is a framework for developing applications powered by large language models (LLMs).
For these applications, LangChain simplifies the entire application lifecycle:
- **Open-source libraries**: Build your applications using LangChain's [modular building blocks](https://python.langchain.com/docs/expression_language/) and [components](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/). Integrate with hundreds of [third-party providers](https://python.langchain.com/docs/integrations/platforms/).
- **Productionization**: Inspect, monitor, and evaluate your apps with [LangSmith](https://python.langchain.com/docs/langsmith/) so that you can constantly optimize and deploy with confidence.
- **Deployment**: Turn any chain into a REST API with [LangServe](https://python.langchain.com/docs/langserve).
### Open-source libraries
- **`langchain-core`**: Base abstractions and LangChain Expression Language.
- **`langchain-community`**: Third party integrations.
- Some integrations have been further split into **partner packages** that only rely on **`langchain-core`**. Examples include **`langchain_openai`** and **`langchain_anthropic`**.
- **`langchain`**: Chains, agents, and retrieval strategies that make up an application's cognitive architecture.
- **[LangGraph](https://python.langchain.com/docs/langgraph)**: A library for building robust and stateful multi-actor applications with LLMs by modeling steps as edges and nodes in a graph.
### Productionization:
- **[LangSmith](https://python.langchain.com/docs/langsmith)**: A developer platform that lets you debug, test, evaluate, and monitor chains built on any LLM framework and seamlessly integrates with LangChain.
### Deployment:
- **[LangServe](https://python.langchain.com/docs/langserve)**: A library for deploying LangChain chains as REST APIs.
![Diagram outlining the hierarchical organization of the LangChain framework, displaying the interconnected parts across multiple layers.](docs/static/svg/langchain_stack.svg "LangChain Architecture Overview")
## 🧱 What can you build with LangChain?
**❓ Question answering with RAG**
- [Documentation](https://python.langchain.com/docs/use_cases/question_answering/)
- End-to-end Example: [Chat LangChain](https://chat.langchain.com) and [repo](https://github.com/langchain-ai/chat-langchain)
**🧱 Extracting structured output**
- [Documentation](https://python.langchain.com/docs/use_cases/extraction/)
- End-to-end Example: [SQL Llama2 Template](https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchain-extract/)
**🤖 Chatbots**
- [Documentation](https://python.langchain.com/docs/use_cases/chatbots)
- End-to-end Example: [Web LangChain (web researcher chatbot)](https://weblangchain.vercel.app) and [repo](https://github.com/langchain-ai/weblangchain)
And much more! Head to the [Use cases](https://python.langchain.com/docs/use_cases/) section of the docs for more.
## 🚀 How does LangChain help?
The main value props of the LangChain libraries are:
1. **Components**: composable building blocks, tools and integrations for working with language models. Components are modular and easy-to-use, whether you are using the rest of the LangChain framework or not
2. **Off-the-shelf chains**: built-in assemblages of components for accomplishing higher-level tasks
Off-the-shelf chains make it easy to get started. Components make it easy to customize existing chains and build new ones.
## LangChain Expression Language (LCEL)
LCEL is the foundation of many of LangChain's components, and is a declarative way to compose chains. LCEL was designed from day 1 to support putting prototypes in production, with no code changes, from the simplest “prompt + LLM” chain to the most complex chains.
- **[Overview](https://python.langchain.com/docs/expression_language/)**: LCEL and its benefits
- **[Interface](https://python.langchain.com/docs/expression_language/interface)**: The standard interface for LCEL objects
- **[Primitives](https://python.langchain.com/docs/expression_language/primitives)**: More on the primitives LCEL includes
## Components
Components fall into the following **modules**:
**📃 Model I/O:**
This includes [prompt management](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/model_io/prompts/), [prompt optimization](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/model_io/prompts/example_selectors/), a generic interface for [chat models](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/model_io/chat/) and [LLMs](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/model_io/llms/), and common utilities for working with [model outputs](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/model_io/output_parsers/).
**📚 Retrieval:**
Retrieval Augmented Generation involves [loading data](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/data_connection/document_loaders/) from a variety of sources, [preparing it](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/data_connection/document_loaders/), [then retrieving it](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/data_connection/retrievers/) for use in the generation step.
**🤖 Agents:**
Agents allow an LLM autonomy over how a task is accomplished. Agents make decisions about which Actions to take, then take that Action, observe the result, and repeat until the task is complete done. LangChain provides a [standard interface for agents](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/agents/), a [selection of agents](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/agents/agent_types/) to choose from, and examples of end-to-end agents.
## 📖 Documentation
Please see [here](https://python.langchain.com) for full documentation, which includes:
- [Getting started](https://python.langchain.com/docs/get_started/introduction): installation, setting up the environment, simple examples
- [Use case](https://python.langchain.com/docs/use_cases/) walkthroughs and best practice [guides](https://python.langchain.com/docs/guides/)
- Overviews of the [interfaces](https://python.langchain.com/docs/expression_language/), [components](https://python.langchain.com/docs/modules/), and [integrations](https://python.langchain.com/docs/integrations/providers)
You can also check out the full [API Reference docs](https://api.python.langchain.com).
## 🌐 Ecosystem
- [🦜🛠️ LangSmith](https://python.langchain.com/docs/langsmith/): Tracing and evaluating your language model applications and intelligent agents to help you move from prototype to production.
- [🦜🕸️ LangGraph](https://python.langchain.com/docs/langgraph): Creating stateful, multi-actor applications with LLMs, built on top of (and intended to be used with) LangChain primitives.
- [🦜🏓 LangServe](https://python.langchain.com/docs/langserve): Deploying LangChain runnables and chains as REST APIs.
- [LangChain Templates](https://python.langchain.com/docs/templates/): Example applications hosted with LangServe.
## 💁 Contributing
As an open-source project in a rapidly developing field, we are extremely open to contributions, whether it be in the form of a new feature, improved infrastructure, or better documentation.
For detailed information on how to contribute, see [here](https://python.langchain.com/docs/contributing/).
## 🌟 Contributors
[![langchain contributors](https://contrib.rocks/image?repo=langchain-ai/langchain&max=2000)](https://github.com/langchain-ai/langchain/graphs/contributors)