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use-x-chat

use-x-chat

github.com/ant-designDevelopment4.8k95 installsUpdated 2d ago
Repository

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

  1. 01Manage messages and request state
  2. 02Configure request placeholders and failure fallbacks
  3. 03Transform messages for UI components
  4. 04Abort requests and regenerate replies
  5. 05Manage conversations with useXConversations

Use cases

  1. 01Connect message state to a React chat interface
  2. 02Show fallback messages for failed or aborted requests
  3. 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-chat

After installing, type/use-x-chatin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Bundled files

References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.

reference/
API.md
CORE.md
EXAMPLES.md

Details

From the project README

🎯 Skill Positioning

Core Positioning: Use the useXChat Hook to build professional AI conversation applications. Prerequisite: Already have a custom Chat Provider (refer to x-chat-provider skill)

Table of Contents

🚀 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

⚠️ messages is MessageInfo<ChatMessage>[] and cannot be passed directly to Bubble.List. It must be mapped to { key, role, content, loading } format. Bubble.List uses the role prop (not roles) 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: messages type is MessageInfo<ChatMessage>[]; message content is in msg.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

OptionTypeDescription
providerAbstractChatProvider<ChatMessage, Input, Output>Required, Provider instance
conversationKeystringConversation unique identifier, required for multi-conversation
defaultMessagesDefaultMessageInfo[] | () => ... | async () => ...Default display messages, supports async loading
requestPlaceholderChatMessage | (requestParams, { messages }) => ChatMessagePlaceholder message during request
requestFallbackChatMessage | (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's messageInfo type is MessageInfo<ChatMessage>, the message being updated when the request fails. requestFallback handles both network errors (error) and user abort (error.name === 'AbortError').

useXChat Return Values

Return ValueTypeDescription
messagesMessageInfo<ChatMessage>[]Message list; must be mapped before passing to Bubble.List
parsedMessagesMessageInfo<ParsedMessage>[]Message list after parser transform (use this when parser is set)
onRequest(params: Partial<Input>, opts?: { extraInfo: AnyObject }) => voidAdd message and trigger request
isRequestingbooleanWhether request is in progress
abort() => voidAbort current request
setMessages(messages: Partial<MessageInfo<ChatMessage>>[]) => voidDirectly modify message list, no request triggered
setMessage(id: string | number, info: Partial<MessageInfo<ChatMessage>>) => voidModify single message, no request triggered
removeMessage(id: string | number) => booleanDelete a message, returns whether deletion was successful
onReload(id: string | number, params: Partial<Input>, opts?: { extraInfo: AnyObject }) => voidRegenerate an AI reply
queueRequest(conversationKey: string | symbol, params: Partial<Input>, opts?: { extraInfo: AnyObject }) => voidQueue request, sent after conversation initializes
isDefaultMessagesRequestingbooleanWhether 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 ScenarioRequired Skill/ProviderOrder
Private API Adaptationx-chat-provider → use-x-chatCreate Provider first
Standard APIBuilt-in Provider + use-x-chatDirect use
Multi-conversationProvider factory + useXConversations + useXChatUse 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 MessageInfo data structure (message content is in msg.message)
  • Bubble.List uses role prop (not roles)
  • 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 --noEmit to ensure no type errors
  • Keep code clean: Remove all unused variables and imports

🔗 Reference Resources

📚 Core Reference Documentation

🌐 SDK Official Documentation

💻 Example Code

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