VB.NET

Conversation with Streaming Responses

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Demonstrates an AI conversation with receiving streaming responses. VB.NET

Dim success As Boolean = False

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

Dim ai As New Chilkat.Ai

' 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.ApiKey = "MY_API_KEY"

' Choose a model.
ai.Model = "gemini-2.5-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.
Dim systemMsg As String = "You are a creative storyteller"
Dim developerMsg As String = ""
Dim conversationName As String = "test_conversation"
ai.NewConvo(conversationName,systemMsg,developerMsg)

' Add a text input.
ai.InputAddText("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.
success = ai.Ask("text")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(ai.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


Dim sbEventName As New Chilkat.StringBuilder
Dim sbDelta As New Chilkat.StringBuilder
Dim sbFullResponse As New Chilkat.StringBuilder
Dim finished As Boolean = False
Dim abortFlag As Boolean = False
Dim maxWaitMs As Integer = 5000

While Not finished

    Dim result As Integer = ai.PollAi(abortFlag)
    If (result = 1) Then
        ' We have output waiting.  It should be instantly available.  The maxWaitMs is just-in-case.
        success = ai.NextAiEvent(maxWaitMs,sbEventName,sbDelta)
        If (success = False) Then
            Debug.WriteLine(ai.LastErrorText)
            Exit Sub
        End If


        ' Some AI providers send many "empty" events.  Just ignore them.
        If (Not sbEventName.ContentsEqual("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.ContentsEqual("delta",True)) Then
                ' This example will emit each delta to its own line.
                Debug.WriteLine(sbDelta.GetAsString())

                ' Accumulate the delta's so we can show the full response later.
                sbFullResponse.AppendSb(sbDelta)
            Else
                ' A streaming AI response is always terminated by a single "null_terminator" event.
                finished = sbEventName.ContentsEqual("null_terminator",True)
            End If

        End If

    Else
        If (result = 0) Then
            ' Nothing is immediately available. Sleep for 1/10 of a second before polling again.
            ai.SleepMs(100)
        Else
            ' Something failed..
            Debug.WriteLine(ai.LastErrorText)
            finished = True
        End If

    End If

End While

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

' Show the accumulated (full) response.
Debug.WriteLine("----")
Debug.WriteLine(sbFullResponse.GetAsString())
Debug.WriteLine("----")

' ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' For the 2nd request in this conversation, ask for a shorter version of the story.
ai.InputAddText("Rewrite the story, but this time make it shorter, about one third as long.")
success = ai.Ask("text")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(ai.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


sbFullResponse.Clear()
finished = False

While Not finished

    Dim result As Integer = ai.PollAi(abortFlag)
    If (result = 1) Then
        ' We have output waiting.  It should be instantly available.  The maxWaitMs is just-in-case.
        success = ai.NextAiEvent(maxWaitMs,sbEventName,sbDelta)
        If (success = False) Then
            Debug.WriteLine(ai.LastErrorText)
            Exit Sub
        End If


        ' Some AI providers send many "empty" events.  Just ignore them.
        If (Not sbEventName.ContentsEqual("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.ContentsEqual("delta",True)) Then
                ' This example will emit each delta to its own line.
                Debug.WriteLine(sbDelta.GetAsString())

                ' Accumulate the delta's so we can show the full response later.
                sbFullResponse.AppendSb(sbDelta)
            Else
                ' A streaming AI response is always terminated by a single "null_terminator" event.
                finished = sbEventName.ContentsEqual("null_terminator",True)
            End If

        End If

    Else
        If (result = 0) Then
            ' Nothing is immediately available. Sleep for 1/10 of a second before polling again.
            ai.SleepMs(100)
        Else
            ' Something failed..
            Debug.WriteLine(ai.LastErrorText)
            finished = True
        End If

    End If

End While

Debug.WriteLine("----")
Debug.WriteLine(sbFullResponse.GetAsString())