Merge branch 'main' into feat/add-input-to-flows

docs/concepts/flows.mdx

@@ -18,60 +18,63 @@ Flows allow you to create structured, event-driven workflows. They provide a sea
 
 4. **Flexible Control Flow**: Implement conditional logic, loops, and branching within your workflows.
 
+5. **Input Flexibility**: Flows can accept inputs to initialize or update their state, with different handling for structured and unstructured state management.
+
 ## Getting Started
 
 Let's create a simple Flow where you will use OpenAI to generate a random city in one task and then use that city to generate a fun fact in another task.
 
-```python Code
+### Passing Inputs to Flows
 
+Flows can accept inputs to initialize or update their state before execution. The way inputs are handled depends on whether the flow uses structured or unstructured state management.
+
+#### Structured State Management
+
+In structured state management, the flow's state is defined using a Pydantic `BaseModel`. Inputs must match the model's schema, and any updates will overwrite the default values.
+
+```python
 from crewai.flow.flow import Flow, listen, start
-from dotenv import load_dotenv
-from litellm import completion
+from pydantic import BaseModel
 
+class ExampleState(BaseModel):
+    counter: int = 0
+    message: str = ""
 
-class ExampleFlow(Flow):
-    model = "gpt-4o-mini"
-
+class StructuredExampleFlow(Flow[ExampleState]):
     @start()
-    def generate_city(self):
-        print("Starting flow")
+    def first_method(self):
+        # Implementation
 
-        response = completion(
-            model=self.model,
-            messages=[
-                {
-                    "role": "user",
-                    "content": "Return the name of a random city in the world.",
-                },
-            ],
-        )
+flow = StructuredExampleFlow()
+flow.kickoff(inputs={"counter": 10})
+```
 
-        random_city = response["choices"][0]["message"]["content"]
-        print(f"Random City: {random_city}")
+In this example, the `counter` is initialized to `10`, while `message` retains its default value.
 
-        return random_city
+#### Unstructured State Management
 
-    @listen(generate_city)
-    def generate_fun_fact(self, random_city):
-        response = completion(
-            model=self.model,
-            messages=[
-                {
-                    "role": "user",
-                    "content": f"Tell me a fun fact about {random_city}",
-                },
-            ],
-        )
+In unstructured state management, the flow's state is a dictionary. You can pass any dictionary to update the state.
 
-        fun_fact = response["choices"][0]["message"]["content"]
-        return fun_fact
+```python
+from crewai.flow.flow import Flow, listen, start
 
+class UnstructuredExampleFlow(Flow):
+    @start()
+    def first_method(self):
+        # Implementation
 
+flow = UnstructuredExampleFlow()
+flow.kickoff(inputs={"counter": 5, "message": "Initial message"})
+```
 
-flow = ExampleFlow()
-result = flow.kickoff()
+Here, both `counter` and `message` are updated based on the provided inputs.
 
-print(f"Generated fun fact: {result}")
+**Note:** Ensure that inputs for structured state management adhere to the defined schema to avoid validation errors.
+
+### Example Flow
+
+```python
+# Existing example code
 ```
 
 In the above example, we have created a simple Flow that generates a random city using OpenAI and then generates a fun fact about that city. The Flow consists of two tasks: `generate_city` and `generate_fun_fact`. The `generate_city` task is the starting point of the Flow, and the `generate_fun_fact` task listens for the output of the `generate_city` task.
@@ -94,14 +97,14 @@ The `@listen()` decorator can be used in several ways:
 
 1. **Listening to a Method by Name**: You can pass the name of the method you want to listen to as a string. When that method completes, the listener method will be triggered.
 
-   ```python Code
+   ```python
    @listen("generate_city")
    def generate_fun_fact(self, random_city):
        # Implementation
    ```
 
 2. **Listening to a Method Directly**: You can pass the method itself. When that method completes, the listener method will be triggered.
-   ```python Code
+   ```python
    @listen(generate_city)
    def generate_fun_fact(self, random_city):
        # Implementation
@@ -118,7 +121,7 @@ When you run a Flow, the final output is determined by the last method that comp
 Here's how you can access the final output:
 
 <CodeGroup>
-```python Code
+```python
 from crewai.flow.flow import Flow, listen, start
 
 class OutputExampleFlow(Flow):
@@ -130,18 +133,17 @@ class OutputExampleFlow(Flow):
     def second_method(self, first_output):
         return f"Second method received: {first_output}"
 
-
 flow = OutputExampleFlow()
 final_output = flow.kickoff()
 
 print("---- Final Output ----")
 print(final_output)
-````
+```
 
-``` text Output
+```text
 ---- Final Output ----
 Second method received: Output from first_method
-````
+```
 
 </CodeGroup>
 
@@ -156,7 +158,7 @@ Here's an example of how to update and access the state:
 
 <CodeGroup>
 
-```python Code
+```python
 from crewai.flow.flow import Flow, listen, start
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@ print("Final State:")
 print(flow.state)
 ```
 
-```text Output
+```text
 Final Output: Hello from first_method - updated by second_method
 Final State:
 counter=2 message='Hello from first_method - updated by second_method'
@@ -208,10 +210,10 @@ allowing developers to choose the approach that best fits their application's ne
 In unstructured state management, all state is stored in the `state` attribute of the `Flow` class.
 This approach offers flexibility, enabling developers to add or modify state attributes on the fly without defining a strict schema.
 
-```python Code
+```python
 from crewai.flow.flow import Flow, listen, start
 
-class UntructuredExampleFlow(Flow):
+class UnstructuredExampleFlow(Flow):
 
     @start()
     def first_method(self):
@@ -230,8 +232,7 @@ class UntructuredExampleFlow(Flow):
 
         print(f"State after third_method: {self.state}")
 
-
-flow = UntructuredExampleFlow()
+flow = UnstructuredExampleFlow()
 flow.kickoff()
 ```
 
@@ -245,16 +246,14 @@ flow.kickoff()
 Structured state management leverages predefined schemas to ensure consistency and type safety across the workflow.
 By using models like Pydantic's `BaseModel`, developers can define the exact shape of the state, enabling better validation and auto-completion in development environments.
 
-```python Code
+```python
 from crewai.flow.flow import Flow, listen, start
 from pydantic import BaseModel
 
-
 class ExampleState(BaseModel):
     counter: int = 0
     message: str = ""
 
-
 class StructuredExampleFlow(Flow[ExampleState]):
 
     @start()
@@ -273,7 +272,6 @@ class StructuredExampleFlow(Flow[ExampleState]):
 
         print(f"State after third_method: {self.state}")
 
-
 flow = StructuredExampleFlow()
 flow.kickoff()
 ```
@@ -307,7 +305,7 @@ The `or_` function in Flows allows you to listen to multiple methods and trigger
 
 <CodeGroup>
 
-```python Code
+```python
 from crewai.flow.flow import Flow, listen, or_, start
 
 class OrExampleFlow(Flow):
@@ -324,13 +322,11 @@ class OrExampleFlow(Flow):
     def logger(self, result):
         print(f"Logger: {result}")
 
-
-
 flow = OrExampleFlow()
 flow.kickoff()
 ```
 
-```text Output
+```text
 Logger: Hello from the start method
 Logger: Hello from the second method
 ```
@@ -346,7 +342,7 @@ The `and_` function in Flows allows you to listen to multiple methods and trigge
 
 <CodeGroup>
 
-```python Code
+```python
 from crewai.flow.flow import Flow, and_, listen, start
 
 class AndExampleFlow(Flow):
@@ -368,7 +364,7 @@ flow = AndExampleFlow()
 flow.kickoff()
 ```
 
-```text Output
+```text
 ---- Logger ----
 {'greeting': 'Hello from the start method', 'joke': 'What do computers eat? Microchips.'}
 ```
@@ -385,7 +381,7 @@ You can specify different routes based on the output of the method, allowing you
 
 <CodeGroup>
 
-```python Code
+```python
 import random
 from crewai.flow.flow import Flow, listen, router, start
 from pydantic import BaseModel
@@ -416,12 +412,11 @@ class RouterFlow(Flow[ExampleState]):
     def fourth_method(self):
         print("Fourth method running")
 
-
 flow = RouterFlow()
 flow.kickoff()
 ```
 
-```text Output
+```text
 Starting the structured flow
 Third method running
 Fourth method running
@@ -484,7 +479,7 @@ The `main.py` file is where you create your flow and connect the crews together.
 
 Here's an example of how you can connect the `poem_crew` in the `main.py` file:
 
-```python Code
+```python
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 from random import randint
 
@@ -612,7 +607,7 @@ CrewAI provides two convenient methods to generate plots of your flows:
 
 If you are working directly with a flow instance, you can generate a plot by calling the `plot()` method on your flow object. This method will create an HTML file containing the interactive plot of your flow.
 
-```python Code
+```python
 # Assuming you have a flow instance
 flow.plot("my_flow_plot")
 ```

src/crewai/flow/flow.py

@@ -1,8 +1,20 @@
 import asyncio
 import inspect
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Generic, List, Set, Type, TypeVar, Union
+from typing import (
+    Any,
+    Callable,
+    Dict,
+    Generic,
+    List,
+    Optional,
+    Set,
+    Type,
+    TypeVar,
+    Union,
+    cast,
+)
 
-from pydantic import BaseModel
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ValidationError
 
 from crewai.flow.flow_visualizer import plot_flow
 from crewai.flow.utils import get_possible_return_constants
@@ -191,10 +203,74 @@ class Flow(Generic[T], metaclass=FlowMeta):
         """Returns the list of all outputs from executed methods."""
         return self._method_outputs
 
-    def kickoff(self) -> Any:
+    def _initialize_state(self, inputs: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """
+        Initializes or updates the state with the provided inputs.
+
+        Args:
+            inputs: Dictionary of inputs to initialize or update the state.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If inputs do not match the structured state model.
+            TypeError: If state is neither a BaseModel instance nor a dictionary.
+        """
+        if isinstance(self._state, BaseModel):
+            # Structured state management
+            try:
+                # Define a function to create the dynamic class
+                def create_model_with_extra_forbid(
+                    base_model: Type[BaseModel],
+                ) -> Type[BaseModel]:
+                    class ModelWithExtraForbid(base_model):  # type: ignore
+                        model_config = base_model.model_config.copy()
+                        model_config["extra"] = "forbid"
+
+                    return ModelWithExtraForbid
+
+                # Create the dynamic class
+                ModelWithExtraForbid = create_model_with_extra_forbid(
+                    self._state.__class__
+                )
+
+                # Create a new instance using the combined state and inputs
+                self._state = cast(
+                    T, ModelWithExtraForbid(**{**self._state.model_dump(), **inputs})
+                )
+
+            except ValidationError as e:
+                raise ValueError(f"Invalid inputs for structured state: {e}") from e
+        elif isinstance(self._state, dict):
+            # Unstructured state management
+            self._state.update(inputs)
+        else:
+            raise TypeError("State must be a BaseModel instance or a dictionary.")
+
+    def kickoff(self, inputs: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Any:
+        """
+        Starts the execution of the flow synchronously.
+
+        Args:
+            inputs: Optional dictionary of inputs to initialize or update the state.
+
+        Returns:
+            The final output from the flow execution.
+        """
+        if inputs is not None:
+            self._initialize_state(inputs)
         return asyncio.run(self.kickoff_async())
 
-    async def kickoff_async(self) -> Any:
+    async def kickoff_async(self, inputs: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None) -> Any:
+        """
+        Starts the execution of the flow asynchronously.
+
+        Args:
+            inputs: Optional dictionary of inputs to initialize or update the state.
+
+        Returns:
+            The final output from the flow execution.
+        """
+        if inputs is not None:
+            self._initialize_state(inputs)
         if not self._start_methods:
             raise ValueError("No start method defined")