feat(files): use FileInput type for all input_files parameters

lib/crewai/src/crewai/crew.py

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from hashlib import md5
 import json
 import re
 from typing import (
+    TYPE_CHECKING,
     Any,
     cast,
 )
@@ -31,6 +32,10 @@ from rich.console import Console
 from rich.panel import Panel
 from typing_extensions import Self
 
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from crewai_files import FileInput
+
 from crewai.agent import Agent
 from crewai.agents.agent_builder.base_agent import BaseAgent
 from crewai.agents.cache.cache_handler import CacheHandler
@@ -679,7 +684,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
     def kickoff(
         self,
         inputs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> CrewOutput | CrewStreamingOutput:
         """Execute the crew's workflow.
 
@@ -751,7 +756,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
     def kickoff_for_each(
         self,
         inputs: list[dict[str, Any]],
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> list[CrewOutput | CrewStreamingOutput]:
         """Executes the Crew's workflow for each input and aggregates results.
 
@@ -787,7 +792,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
     async def kickoff_async(
         self,
         inputs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> CrewOutput | CrewStreamingOutput:
         """Asynchronous kickoff method to start the crew execution.
 
@@ -834,7 +839,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
     async def kickoff_for_each_async(
         self,
         inputs: list[dict[str, Any]],
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> list[CrewOutput | CrewStreamingOutput] | CrewStreamingOutput:
         """Executes the Crew's workflow for each input asynchronously.
 
@@ -860,7 +865,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
     async def akickoff(
         self,
         inputs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> CrewOutput | CrewStreamingOutput:
         """Native async kickoff method using async task execution throughout.
 
@@ -936,7 +941,7 @@ class Crew(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
     async def akickoff_for_each(
         self,
         inputs: list[dict[str, Any]],
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> list[CrewOutput | CrewStreamingOutput] | CrewStreamingOutput:
         """Native async execution of the Crew's workflow for each input.
 

lib/crewai/src/crewai/crews/utils.py

@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ except ImportError:
 
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from crewai_files import FileInput
+
     from crewai.crew import Crew
 
 
@@ -225,7 +227,7 @@ def _extract_files_from_inputs(inputs: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
 def prepare_kickoff(
     crew: Crew,
     inputs: dict[str, Any] | None,
-    input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+    input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
 ) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
     """Prepare crew for kickoff execution.
 

lib/crewai/src/crewai/flow/flow.py

@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ from crewai.flow.utils import (
 
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from crewai_files import FileInput
+
     from crewai.flow.async_feedback.types import PendingFeedbackContext
     from crewai.flow.human_feedback import HumanFeedbackResult
     from crewai.llms.base_llm import BaseLLM
@@ -1414,7 +1416,7 @@ class Flow(Generic[T], metaclass=FlowMeta):
     def kickoff(
         self,
         inputs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> Any | FlowStreamingOutput:
         """Start the flow execution in a synchronous context.
 
@@ -1475,7 +1477,7 @@ class Flow(Generic[T], metaclass=FlowMeta):
     async def kickoff_async(
         self,
         inputs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> Any | FlowStreamingOutput:
         """Start the flow execution asynchronously.
 
@@ -1720,7 +1722,7 @@ class Flow(Generic[T], metaclass=FlowMeta):
     async def akickoff(
         self,
         inputs: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> Any | FlowStreamingOutput:
         """Native async method to start the flow execution. Alias for kickoff_async.
 

lib/crewai/src/crewai/lite_agent.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from collections.abc import Callable
 import inspect
 import json
 from typing import (
+    TYPE_CHECKING,
     Any,
     Literal,
     cast,
@@ -23,6 +24,10 @@ from pydantic import (
 )
 from typing_extensions import Self
 
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from crewai_files import FileInput
+
 from crewai.agents.agent_builder.base_agent import BaseAgent
 from crewai.agents.agent_builder.utilities.base_token_process import TokenProcess
 from crewai.agents.cache.cache_handler import CacheHandler
@@ -296,7 +301,7 @@ class LiteAgent(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
         self,
         messages: str | list[LLMMessage],
         response_format: type[BaseModel] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> LiteAgentOutput:
         """Execute the agent with the given messages.
 
@@ -470,7 +475,7 @@ class LiteAgent(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
         self,
         messages: str | list[LLMMessage],
         response_format: type[BaseModel] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> LiteAgentOutput:
         """Execute the agent asynchronously with the given messages.
 
@@ -492,7 +497,7 @@ class LiteAgent(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
         self,
         messages: str | list[LLMMessage],
         response_format: type[BaseModel] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> LiteAgentOutput:
         """Async version of kickoff. Alias for kickoff_async.
 
@@ -548,7 +553,7 @@ class LiteAgent(FlowTrackable, BaseModel):
         self,
         messages: str | list[LLMMessage],
         response_format: type[BaseModel] | None = None,
-        input_files: dict[str, Any] | None = None,
+        input_files: dict[str, FileInput] | None = None,
     ) -> list[LLMMessage]:
         """Format messages for the LLM.
 

lib/crewai/src/crewai/task.py

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import logging
 from pathlib import Path
 import threading
 from typing import (
+    TYPE_CHECKING,
     Any,
     ClassVar,
     cast,
@@ -30,6 +31,10 @@ from pydantic import (
 from pydantic_core import PydanticCustomError
 from typing_extensions import Self
 
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from crewai_files import FileInput
+
 from crewai.agents.agent_builder.base_agent import BaseAgent
 from crewai.events.event_bus import crewai_event_bus
 from crewai.events.types.task_events import (
@@ -52,10 +57,7 @@ from crewai.utilities.file_store import (
 
 
 try:
-    from crewai_files import (
+    from crewai_files import FilePath
-        FilePath,
-        normalize_input_files,
-    )
 
     HAS_CREWAI_FILES = True
 except ImportError:
@@ -158,9 +160,9 @@ class Task(BaseModel):
         default_factory=list,
         description="Tools the agent is limited to use for this task.",
     )
-    input_files: list[Any] = Field(
+    input_files: dict[str, FileInput] = Field(
-        default_factory=list,
+        default_factory=dict,
-        description="List of input files for this task. Accepts paths, bytes, or File objects.",
+        description="Named input files for this task. Keys are reference names, values are paths or File objects.",
     )
     security_config: SecurityConfig = Field(
         default_factory=SecurityConfig,
@@ -379,7 +381,7 @@ class Task(BaseModel):
 
     @field_validator("input_files", mode="before")
     @classmethod
-    def _normalize_input_files(cls, v: list[Any]) -> list[Any]:
+    def _normalize_input_files(cls, v: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
         """Convert string paths to FilePath objects."""
         if not v:
             return v
@@ -387,12 +389,12 @@ class Task(BaseModel):
         if not HAS_CREWAI_FILES:
             return v
 
-        result = []
+        result = {}
-        for item in v:
+        for key, value in v.items():
-            if isinstance(item, str):
+            if isinstance(value, str):
-                result.append(FilePath(path=Path(item)))
+                result[key] = FilePath(path=Path(value))
             else:
-                result.append(item)
+                result[key] = value
         return result
 
     @field_validator("output_file")
@@ -1038,16 +1040,11 @@ Follow these guidelines:
         return
 
     def _store_input_files(self) -> None:
-        """Store task input files in the file store.
+        """Store task input files in the file store."""
-
-        Converts input_files list to a named dict and stores under task ID.
-        """
         if not HAS_CREWAI_FILES or not self.input_files:
             return
 
-        files_dict = normalize_input_files(self.input_files)
+        store_task_files(self.id, self.input_files)
-        if files_dict:
-            store_task_files(self.id, files_dict)
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         return f"Task(description={self.description}, expected_output={self.expected_output})"