Marvin allows agents to interact with users through the command line interface (CLI). This is useful for:

  • Gathering user input during task execution
  • Creating interactive chatbots
  • Building conversational interfaces
  • Getting user confirmation or choices
  • Providing real-time feedback

Note that this is not a replacement for a proper user interface, and is intended primarily for local prototyping and development.

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Enabling CLI Interaction

To enable CLI interaction for a task, set the cli parameter to True:

import marvin

# Get user input
name = marvin.run(
    "Ask for the user's name",
    cli=True
)

print(f"The user's name is: {name}")

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Interactive Conversations

Use threads to maintain context in interactive conversations:

import marvin

with marvin.Thread() as thread:
    # Get user preferences
    preferences = marvin.run(
        "Ask about the user's movie preferences",
        cli=True
    )

    # Make a recommendation
    recommendation = marvin.run(
        "Recommend a movie based on their preferences"
    )

    # Ask for feedback
    feedback = marvin.run(
        "Ask if they'd like another recommendation",
        cli=True
    )

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Example: Interactive Survey

Here’s a complete example of an interactive survey:

import marvin
from typing import Literal
from dataclasses import dataclass

@dataclass
class Survey:
    name: str
    age: int
    interests: list[str]
    experience_level: Literal["beginner", "intermediate", "advanced"]

with marvin.Thread() as thread:
    # Create an interactive agent
    agent = marvin.Agent(
        name="Surveyor",
        cli=True,
        instructions="Conduct a friendly survey about programming experience."
    )

    # Run the survey
    result = marvin.run(
        "Conduct a programming survey",
        agents=[agent],
        result_type=Survey
    )

print(result)