Using Ellmer Chat Models

There are two ways to use ellmer chat models for batch processing. This flexibility allows you to 1) pass a function that creates a ready-to-go chat model or 2) pass a chat model object for more user control.

Method 1: Passing a Function

The first method is to pass an ellmer chat model function directly. This is the preferred method because it lets hellmer setup the model, specifically setting echo = "none" for cleaner console output:

library(hellmer)

# Sequential processing
chat <- chat_sequential(
  chat_model = chat_claude,
  system_prompt = "Reply concisely"
)

# Parallel processing
chat <- chat_future(
  chat_model = chat_claude,
  system_prompt = "Reply concisely",
  workers = 4
)

In this case, hellmer will:

  1. Recognize that chat_model is a function
  2. Setup the model with echo = "none" and any additional parameters you provide
  3. Use this newly created model for batch processing

Method 2: Passing an Object

The second method is to pass a chat model object. This is useful when you need more control over model configuration or want to reuse an existing model:

library(hellmer)

# Create and configure a chat model
claude <- chat_claude(
  model = "claude-3-7-sonnet-latest",
  system_prompt = "Reply concisely",
  echo = "none",
  max_tokens = 1000
)

# Sequential processing
chat <- chat_sequential(chat_model = claude)

# Parallel processing
chat <- chat_future(
  chat_model = claude,
  workers = 4
)

In this case, hellmer will:

  1. Recognize that chat_model is an object
  2. Use the model as-is with its existing configuration