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Tool

As explained in Building LLM Applications with DSPy

An invocable software capability that performs an operation on behalf of an application or agent.

A tool is an invocable capability an agent can use to act beyond language-model reasoning. The language model guides which tool to use and how; the agent executes it to respond to a user. section 9.0

Tools let an agent perform operations such as:

  • Calling an API or running other software. section 9.0
  • Updating a database, sending an email, making a purchase, or scheduling an appointment. section 9.0

How Building LLM Applications with DSPy covers it

How deep it goes
Defines tools by their role in agent execution and names common operations, but gives no interface or implementation details.
Examples
Names API calls, software execution, database updates, emails, purchases, and appointment scheduling as agent actions.
What you can do after
Understand how to pair language-model planning with executable actions in an agent.
How it connects
Connects tools to agents, language models, retrieval-augmented generation, and conversation history.

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This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Building LLM Applications with DSPy. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.