About use-x-chat
use-x-chat is a skill guide for developers building React AI conversation apps with the useXChat Hook from @ant-design/x-sdk. It explains message and request management, placeholders and failure handling, message transformation, cancellation, and multi-conversation support; a Chat Provider is required first.
Key features
- 01Manage messages and request state
- 02Configure request placeholders and failure fallbacks
- 03Transform messages for UI components
- 04Abort requests and regenerate replies
- 05Manage conversations with useXConversations
Use cases
- 01Connect message state to a React chat interface
- 02Show fallback messages for failed or aborted requests
- 03Implement conversation switching and queued first messages
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/ / github.com/ ant-design/ x --skill use-x-chatAfter installing, type/use-x-chatin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled files
References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.
reference/API.mdCORE.mdEXAMPLES.mdDetails
From the project README🎯 Skill Positioning
Core Positioning: Use the
useXChatHook to build professional AI conversation applications. Prerequisite: Already have a custom Chat Provider (refer to x-chat-provider skill)
Table of Contents
- 🚀 Quick Start
- 🧩 Core Concepts
- 🔧 Core Function Details
- 🗂️ Multi-conversation Management
- 📋 Prerequisites and Dependencies
- 🚨 Development Rules
- 🔗 Reference Resources
🚀 Quick Start
1. Dependency Management
- @ant-design/x-sdk: 2.2.2+
- @ant-design/x: latest version (UI components)
npm install @ant-design/x-sdk@latest @ant-design/x@latest
2. Three-step Integration
Step 1: Prepare Provider
Handled by the x-chat-provider skill. Note XRequest must pass manual: true:
import { MyChatProvider } from './MyChatProvider';
import { XRequest } from '@ant-design/x-sdk';
// ⚠️ manual: true is required
const provider = new MyChatProvider({
request: XRequest('https://your-api.com/chat', { manual: true }),
});
Step 2: Basic Usage
import { useXChat } from '@ant-design/x-sdk';
const ChatComponent = () => {
const { messages, onRequest, isRequesting } = useXChat({
provider,
requestPlaceholder: (_, { messages }) => ({
content: 'Thinking...',
role: 'assistant',
}),
requestFallback: (_, { error, messageInfo }) => {
if (error.name === 'AbortError') {
return { content: messageInfo?.message?.content || 'Reply cancelled', role: 'assistant' };
}
return { content: 'Network error, please try again later', role: 'assistant' };
},
});
return (
<div>
{messages.map((msg) => (
<div key={msg.id}>
{msg.message.role}: {msg.message.content}
</div>
))}
<button onClick={() => onRequest({ query: 'Hello' })}>Send</button>
</div>
);
};
Step 3: UI Integration
⚠️
messagesisMessageInfo<ChatMessage>[]and cannot be passed directly toBubble.List. It must be mapped to{ key, role, content, loading }format.Bubble.Listuses theroleprop (notroles) to configure role styles.
import { Bubble, Sender } from '@ant-design/x';
const ChatUI = () => {
const { messages, onRequest, isRequesting, abort } = useXChat({ provider });
return (
<div style={{ height: 600 }}>
<Bubble.List
// ✅ Correct: use role (not roles)
role={{
user: { placement: 'end' },
assistant: { placement: 'start' },
}}
items={messages.map(({ id, message, status }) => ({
key: id,
role: message.role, // matches role config key
content: message.content, // message content
loading: status === 'loading', // loading animation
}))}
/>
<Sender
loading={isRequesting}
onSubmit={(content) => onRequest({ query: content })}
onCancel={abort}
/>
</div>
);
};
When ChatMessage is an object type (not string)
When ChatMessage is a complex object (e.g., with content, attachments fields), use contentRender:
<Bubble.List
role={{
assistant: {
placement: 'start',
// contentRender receives content param, which is the message field itself
contentRender(content: MyMessage) {
return (
<div>
<div>{content.content}</div>
{content.attachments?.map((a) => (
<FileCard key={a.url} name={a.name} />
))}
</div>
);
},
},
user: {
placement: 'end',
contentRender(content: MyMessage) {
return content.content;
},
},
}}
items={messages.map(({ id, message, status }) => ({
key: id,
role: message.role,
content: message, // ⚠️ Pass the entire message object; contentRender handles rendering
loading: status === 'loading',
}))}
/>
🧩 Core Concepts
Data Model
⚠️ Important:
messagestype isMessageInfo<ChatMessage>[]; message content is inmsg.message
interface MessageInfo<ChatMessage> {
id: number | string; // Message unique identifier
message: ChatMessage; // Actual message content (your ChatMessage type)
status: MessageStatus; // Message status
extraInfo?: AnyObject; // Extended info (note: extraInfo, not extra)
}
type MessageStatus = 'local' | 'loading' | 'updating' | 'success' | 'error' | 'abort';
// local: locally sent user message
// loading: AI reply placeholder (corresponds to requestPlaceholder)
// updating: AI streaming output in progress
// success: AI reply complete
// error: request failed
// abort: user actively cancelled
useXChat Configuration Options
| Option | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
provider | AbstractChatProvider<ChatMessage, Input, Output> | Required, Provider instance |
conversationKey | string | Conversation unique identifier, required for multi-conversation |
defaultMessages | DefaultMessageInfo[] | () => ... | async () => ... | Default display messages, supports async loading |
requestPlaceholder | ChatMessage | (requestParams, { messages }) => ChatMessage | Placeholder message during request |
requestFallback | ChatMessage | (requestParams, { error, errorInfo, messages, messageInfo }) => ChatMessage | Promise<ChatMessage> | Fallback message on request failure/abort |
parser | (message: ChatMessage) => BubbleMessage | BubbleMessage[] | Convert ChatMessage to component-consumable format, supports one-to-many |
requestFallback'smessageInfotype isMessageInfo<ChatMessage>, the message being updated when the request fails.requestFallbackhandles both network errors (error) and user abort (error.name === 'AbortError').
useXChat Return Values
| Return Value | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
messages | MessageInfo<ChatMessage>[] | Message list; must be mapped before passing to Bubble.List |
parsedMessages | MessageInfo<ParsedMessage>[] | Message list after parser transform (use this when parser is set) |
onRequest | (params: Partial<Input>, opts?: { extraInfo: AnyObject }) => void | Add message and trigger request |
isRequesting | boolean | Whether request is in progress |
abort | () => void | Abort current request |
setMessages | (messages: Partial<MessageInfo<ChatMessage>>[]) => void | Directly modify message list, no request triggered |
setMessage | (id: string | number, info: Partial<MessageInfo<ChatMessage>>) => void | Modify single message, no request triggered |
removeMessage | (id: string | number) => boolean | Delete a message, returns whether deletion was successful |
onReload | (id: string | number, params: Partial<Input>, opts?: { extraInfo: AnyObject }) => void | Regenerate an AI reply |
queueRequest | (conversationKey: string | symbol, params: Partial<Input>, opts?: { extraInfo: AnyObject }) => void | Queue request, sent after conversation initializes |
isDefaultMessagesRequesting | boolean | Whether default messages are async loading |
🔧 Core Function Details
Core functionality reference: CORE.md
🗂️ Multi-conversation Management
useXConversations Hook
useXConversations is a conversation list management Hook provided by @ant-design/x-sdk, used together with useXChat for multi-conversation:
import { useXConversations } from '@ant-design/x-sdk';
import type { ConversationData } from '@ant-design/x-sdk';
const {
conversations, // ConversationData[]: conversation list
activeConversationKey, // string: currently active conversation key
setActiveConversationKey, // (key: string) => void: switch conversation
addConversation, // (ConversationData, placement?) => boolean
removeConversation, // (key: string) => boolean
setConversation, // (key: string, ConversationData) => boolean
getConversation, // (key: string) => ConversationData | undefined
setConversations, // (list: ConversationData[]) => void
getMessages, // (key: string) => MessageInfo[] | undefined (read messages across components)
} = useXConversations({
defaultConversations: [
{ key: 'conv-1', label: 'Conversation 1' },
{ key: 'conv-2', label: 'Conversation 2' },
],
defaultActiveConversationKey: 'conv-1',
});
Multi-conversation Full Pattern
import { useXChat, useXConversations } from '@ant-design/x-sdk';
import { OpenAIChatProvider, XRequest } from '@ant-design/x-sdk';
import { Bubble, Conversations, Sender } from '@ant-design/x';
import React, { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
// ⚠️ Each conversation must have its own Provider instance, otherwise state mixes
const providerCache = new Map<string, OpenAIChatProvider>();
function getProvider(key: string): OpenAIChatProvider {
if (!providerCache.has(key)) {
providerCache.set(
key,
new OpenAIChatProvider({
request: XRequest(BASE_URL, { manual: true, params: { model: 'gpt-4o', stream: true } }),
}),
);
}
return providerCache.get(key)!;
}
const App = () => {
const senderRef = useRef<any>(null);
const { conversations, activeConversationKey, setActiveConversationKey, addConversation } =
useXConversations({
defaultConversations: [{ key: 'conv-1', label: 'New Conversation' }],
defaultActiveConversationKey: 'conv-1',
});
const { messages, onRequest, isRequesting, abort, queueRequest } = useXChat({
provider: getProvider(activeConversationKey),
conversationKey: activeConversationKey,
// Async load default messages
defaultMessages: async ({ conversationKey }) => {
// Load history from server based on conversationKey
return [];
},
requestFallback: (_, { error, messageInfo }) => {
if (error.name === 'AbortError') {
return { content: messageInfo?.message?.content || 'Cancelled', role: 'assistant' };
}
return { content: 'Request failed', role: 'assistant' };
},
});
// Clear input on conversation switch
useEffect(() => {
senderRef.current?.clear?.();
}, [activeConversationKey]);
const handleNewConversation = () => {
const newKey = `conv-${Date.now()}`;
addConversation({ key: newKey, label: `New Conversation ${conversations.length + 1}` });
setActiveConversationKey(newKey);
};
return (
<div style={{ display: 'flex', height: '100vh' }}>
<Conversations
items={conversations}
activeKey={activeConversationKey}
onActiveChange={setActiveConversationKey}
creation={{ onClick: handleNewConversation }}
/>
<div style={{ flex: 1, display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column' }}>
<Bubble.List
role={{ assistant: { placement: 'start' }, user: { placement: 'end' } }}
items={messages.map(({ id, message, status }) => ({
key: id,
role: message.role,
content: message.content,
loading: status === 'loading',
}))}
/>
<Sender
ref={senderRef}
loading={isRequesting}
onCancel={abort}
onSubmit={(val) => {
onRequest({ messages: [{ role: 'user', content: val }] });
}}
/>
</div>
</div>
);
};
queueRequest: Delayed Send After Conversation Switch
// Scenario: user switches to a new conversation and triggers an initial message simultaneously
// queueRequest waits for defaultMessages async loading to complete, then sends the request
const handleNewConversationWithFirstMessage = () => {
const newKey = `conv-${Date.now()}`;
addConversation({ key: newKey, label: 'New Conversation' });
setActiveConversationKey(newKey);
// Queue the message; sent automatically after newKey conversation's defaultMessages finish loading
queueRequest(newKey, {
messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello! Please introduce yourself.' }],
});
};
📋 Prerequisites and Dependencies
| Usage Scenario | Required Skill/Provider | Order |
|---|---|---|
| Private API Adaptation | x-chat-provider → use-x-chat | Create Provider first |
| Standard API | Built-in Provider + use-x-chat | Direct use |
| Multi-conversation | Provider factory + useXConversations + useXChat | Use together |
🚨 Development Rules
Before using use-x-chat, confirm:
- Has Provider (custom or built-in Provider)
- Provider's XRequest is configured with
manual: true - Understands
MessageInfodata structure (message content is inmsg.message) -
Bubble.Listusesroleprop (notroles) - Multi-conversation scenario: each conversation has its own Provider instance
Test Case Rules
- If the user does not explicitly need test cases, do not add test files
Code Quality Rules
- After completion, must check types: Run
tsc --noEmitto ensure no type errors - Keep code clean: Remove all unused variables and imports
🔗 Reference Resources
📚 Core Reference Documentation
- API.md - Complete API reference documentation
- CORE.md - Core function details
- EXAMPLES.md - Practical example code
🌐 SDK Official Documentation
- useXChat Official Documentation
- XRequest Official Documentation
- Chat Provider Official Documentation
💻 Example Code
- with-x-chat.tsx - Multi-conversation full example
- openai-callback.tsx - callbacks + removeMessage example
- developer.tsx - System prompt with developer role
- custom-provider-width-ui.tsx - Custom Provider full example