Sample code for 30+ languages & platforms
Lua Requires Chilkat v11.2.0+

Conversation with Streaming Responses

See more AI Examples

Demonstrates an AI conversation with receiving streaming responses.

Chilkat Lua Downloads

Lua
local chilkat = require("chilkat")

-- This example assumes the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
-- See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

local ai = chilkat.Ai.new()

-- The provider can be "openai", "google", "claude", "deepseek", "xai", or "perplexity".
-- Support for additional providers will be added in future versions of Chilkat.
ai.provider = "google"

-- Use your provider's API key.
ai.api_key = "MY_API_KEY"

-- Choose a model.
ai.model = "gemini-3.6-flash"

-- Indicate streaming mode is to be used.
ai.streaming = true

-- Create a new conversation to be maintained locally in memory.
-- If the conversation is the first to be created, it is also automatically selected.
local systemMsg = "You are a creative storyteller"
local developerMsg = ""
local conversationName = "test_conversation"
ai:new_convo(conversationName, systemMsg, developerMsg)

-- Add a text input.
ai:input_add_text("Write a detailed story about a turtle who decides to run a bakery.  Describe the setting, the kinds of pastries, how the turtle feels, and include at least three paragraphs.")

-- Ask the AI for text output.
local success = ai:ask("text")
if not success then
    print(ai.last_error_text)
    return
end

local sbEventName = chilkat.StringBuilder.new()
local sbDelta = chilkat.StringBuilder.new()
local sbFullResponse = chilkat.StringBuilder.new()
local finished = false
local abortFlag = false
local maxWaitMs = 5000

while not finished do
    local result = ai:poll_ai(abortFlag)
    if result == 1 then
        -- We have output waiting.  It should be instantly available.  The maxWaitMs is just-in-case.
        success = ai:next_ai_event(maxWaitMs, sbEventName, sbDelta)
        if not success then
            print(ai.last_error_text)
            return
        end

        -- Some AI providers send many "empty" events.  Just ignore them.
        if not sbEventName:contents_equal("empty", true) then
            -- The delta contains the new output.  This could be emitted to a display or the terminal
            -- as real-time output.
            if sbEventName:contents_equal("delta", true) then
                -- This example will emit each delta to its own line.
                print(sbDelta:get_as_string())

                -- Accumulate the delta's so we can show the full response later.
                sbFullResponse:append_sb(sbDelta)
            else
                -- A streaming AI response is always terminated by a single "null_terminator" event.
                finished = sbEventName:contents_equal("null_terminator", true)
            end
        end
    elseif result == 0 then
        -- Nothing is immediately available. Sleep for 1/10 of a second before polling again.
        ai:sleep_ms(100)
    else
        -- Something failed..
        print(ai.last_error_text)
        finished = true
    end
end

-- -------------------------------------------------------------
-- The response is in markdown format.
-- Also see Markdown to HTML Conversion Examples.
-- -------------------------------------------------------------

-- Show the accumulated (full) response.
print("----")
print(sbFullResponse:get_as_string())
print("----")

-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- For the 2nd request in this conversation, ask for a shorter version of the story.
ai:input_add_text("Rewrite the story, but this time make it shorter, about one third as long.")
success = ai:ask("text")
if not success then
    print(ai.last_error_text)
    return
end

sbFullResponse:clear()
finished = false

while not finished do
    local result = ai:poll_ai(abortFlag)
    if result == 1 then
        -- We have output waiting.  It should be instantly available.  The maxWaitMs is just-in-case.
        success = ai:next_ai_event(maxWaitMs, sbEventName, sbDelta)
        if not success then
            print(ai.last_error_text)
            return
        end

        -- Some AI providers send many "empty" events.  Just ignore them.
        if not sbEventName:contents_equal("empty", true) then
            -- The delta contains the new output.  This could be emitted to a display or the terminal
            -- as real-time output.
            if sbEventName:contents_equal("delta", true) then
                -- This example will emit each delta to its own line.
                print(sbDelta:get_as_string())

                -- Accumulate the delta's so we can show the full response later.
                sbFullResponse:append_sb(sbDelta)
            else
                -- A streaming AI response is always terminated by a single "null_terminator" event.
                finished = sbEventName:contents_equal("null_terminator", true)
            end
        end
    elseif result == 0 then
        -- Nothing is immediately available. Sleep for 1/10 of a second before polling again.
        ai:sleep_ms(100)
    else
        -- Something failed..
        print(ai.last_error_text)
        finished = true
    end
end

print("----")
print(sbFullResponse:get_as_string())