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SimilaritySearch module

SimilaritySearch

Bases: Module

Vector similarity search against a single KB table.

LM-driven wrapper around KnowledgeBase.similarity_search. An embedded Generator turns the module's inputs into a SimilaritySearchInput query (the similarity_search field), which is then run against the table. This lets the module be dropped into a Program after arbitrary upstream inputs without requiring those inputs to already carry a similarity_search field.

Single-table only: to retrieve from multiple tables, compose several SimilaritySearch modules in the program DAG and merge their outputs explicitly.

Example:

import synalinks
import asyncio

class Document(synalinks.DataModel):
    id: str = synalinks.Field(description="Document id")
    text: str = synalinks.Field(description="Document text")

class Query(synalinks.DataModel):
    query: str = synalinks.Field(description="The user question")

async def main():
    kb = synalinks.KnowledgeBase(
        uri="duckdb://docs.db",
        data_models=[Document],
    )
    lm = synalinks.LanguageModel(model="ollama/mistral")
    inputs = synalinks.Input(data_model=Query)
    outputs = await synalinks.SimilaritySearch(
        knowledge_base=kb,
        language_model=lm,
        data_model=Document,
        k=5,
    )(inputs)
    program = synalinks.Program(inputs=inputs, outputs=outputs)

    result = await program(Query(query="how to deploy"))
    print(result.get("result"))

asyncio.run(main())

Parameters:

Name Type Description Default
knowledge_base KnowledgeBase

The knowledge base to search. Required.

None
language_model LanguageModel

The language model used to generate the similarity_search query from the inputs.

None
schema dict

JSON schema of the table's row. Used to infer table_name from its title when not given explicitly. Mutually inferrable with data_model.

None
data_model DataModel | SymbolicDataModel

Data model providing schema via .get_schema() when schema is not given.

None
table_name str

Target table. Defaults to the schema's title. Optional — when neither table_name nor a schema to derive it from is given, the language model infers the target table per call (constrained to the knowledge base's actual tables), so a single module can search whatever table best answers the inputs.

None
k int

Maximum number of results to return. Defaults to 10.

10
threshold float

Optional maximum vector-distance threshold. Lower distance = better match; rows above threshold are dropped by the adapter.

None
ef_search int

HNSW search-time candidate-list depth. Higher = better recall, slower query. None keeps the index-time value.

None
output_format str

How the underlying adapter renders rows. "json" (default, list of dicts) or "csv" (CSV string).

'json'
prompt_template str

Custom prompt template for the query generator.

None
examples list

Example inputs/outputs for few-shot learning.

None
instructions str

Custom instructions for the query generator.

None
seed_instructions str

Seed instructions for variability.

None
temperature float

Temperature for the language model. Defaults to 0.0.

None
max_tokens int

Optional cap on the generation length. Defaults to None (the model's default).

None
top_p float

Optional nucleus-sampling probability. Defaults to None (the model's default).

None
top_k int

Optional top-k sampling cutoff. Defaults to None (the model's default).

None
use_inputs_schema bool

Whether to include the input schema in the prompt. Defaults to False.

False
use_outputs_schema bool

Whether to include the output schema in the prompt. Defaults to False.

False
return_inputs bool

Whether to include the original inputs in the output. Defaults to True.

True
return_query bool

Whether to include the generated query in the output. Defaults to True.

True
name str

Module name.

None
description str

Module description.

None
trainable bool

Whether the module's variables should be trainable.

True
Source code in synalinks/src/modules/retrievers/similarity_search.py
@synalinks_export(
    [
        "synalinks.modules.SimilaritySearch",
        "synalinks.SimilaritySearch",
    ]
)
class SimilaritySearch(Module):
    """Vector similarity search against a single KB table.

    LM-driven wrapper around `KnowledgeBase.similarity_search`.
    An embedded `Generator` turns the module's inputs into a
    `SimilaritySearchInput` query (the ``similarity_search``
    field), which is then run against the table. This lets the module
    be dropped into a Program after arbitrary upstream inputs without
    requiring those inputs to already carry a ``similarity_search``
    field.

    Single-table only: to retrieve from multiple tables, compose
    several `SimilaritySearch` modules in the program DAG and
    merge their outputs explicitly.

    Example:

    ```python
    import synalinks
    import asyncio

    class Document(synalinks.DataModel):
        id: str = synalinks.Field(description="Document id")
        text: str = synalinks.Field(description="Document text")

    class Query(synalinks.DataModel):
        query: str = synalinks.Field(description="The user question")

    async def main():
        kb = synalinks.KnowledgeBase(
            uri="duckdb://docs.db",
            data_models=[Document],
        )
        lm = synalinks.LanguageModel(model="ollama/mistral")
        inputs = synalinks.Input(data_model=Query)
        outputs = await synalinks.SimilaritySearch(
            knowledge_base=kb,
            language_model=lm,
            data_model=Document,
            k=5,
        )(inputs)
        program = synalinks.Program(inputs=inputs, outputs=outputs)

        result = await program(Query(query="how to deploy"))
        print(result.get("result"))

    asyncio.run(main())
    ```

    Args:
        knowledge_base (KnowledgeBase): The knowledge base to search.
            Required.
        language_model (LanguageModel): The language model used to
            generate the ``similarity_search`` query from the inputs.
        schema (dict): JSON schema of the table's row. Used to infer
            ``table_name`` from its ``title`` when not given
            explicitly. Mutually inferrable with ``data_model``.
        data_model (DataModel | SymbolicDataModel): Data model
            providing ``schema`` via ``.get_schema()`` when ``schema``
            is not given.
        table_name (str): Target table. Defaults to the schema's
            ``title``. **Optional** — when neither ``table_name`` nor a
            schema to derive it from is given, the language model infers
            the target table per call (constrained to the knowledge
            base's actual tables), so a single module can search whatever
            table best answers the inputs.
        k (int): Maximum number of results to return. Defaults to 10.
        threshold (float): Optional maximum vector-distance threshold.
            Lower distance = better match; rows above ``threshold``
            are dropped by the adapter.
        ef_search (int): HNSW search-time candidate-list depth.
            Higher = better recall, slower query. ``None`` keeps the
            index-time value.
        output_format (str): How the underlying adapter renders rows.
            ``"json"`` (default, list of dicts) or ``"csv"`` (CSV
            string).
        prompt_template (str): Custom prompt template for the query
            generator.
        examples (list): Example inputs/outputs for few-shot learning.
        instructions (str): Custom instructions for the query generator.
        seed_instructions (str): Seed instructions for variability.
        temperature (float): Temperature for the language model.
            Defaults to 0.0.
        max_tokens (int): Optional cap on the generation length. Defaults
            to None (the model's default).
        top_p (float): Optional nucleus-sampling probability. Defaults to
            None (the model's default).
        top_k (int): Optional top-k sampling cutoff. Defaults to None
            (the model's default).
        use_inputs_schema (bool): Whether to include the input schema
            in the prompt. Defaults to False.
        use_outputs_schema (bool): Whether to include the output schema
            in the prompt. Defaults to False.
        return_inputs (bool): Whether to include the original inputs in
            the output. Defaults to True.
        return_query (bool): Whether to include the generated query in
            the output. Defaults to True.
        name (str): Module name.
        description (str): Module description.
        trainable (bool): Whether the module's variables should be
            trainable.
    """

    def __init__(
        self,
        *,
        knowledge_base=None,
        language_model=None,
        schema=None,
        data_model=None,
        table_name: Optional[str] = None,
        k: int = 10,
        threshold: Optional[float] = None,
        ef_search: Optional[int] = None,
        output_format: str = "json",
        prompt_template: Optional[str] = None,
        examples: Optional[list] = None,
        instructions: Optional[str] = None,
        seed_instructions: Optional[str] = None,
        temperature: float | None = None,
        max_tokens: int | None = None,
        top_p: float | None = None,
        top_k: int | None = None,
        use_inputs_schema: bool = False,
        use_outputs_schema: bool = False,
        return_inputs: bool = True,
        return_query: bool = True,
        name: Optional[str] = None,
        description: Optional[str] = None,
        trainable: bool = True,
    ):
        super().__init__(
            name=name,
            description=description,
            trainable=trainable,
        )
        self.knowledge_base = _get_kb(knowledge_base)
        self.language_model = _get_lm(language_model)

        if schema is None and data_model is not None:
            schema = data_model.get_schema()
        self.schema = schema
        self.data_model = data_model

        # `table_name` is optional: when it (and a schema to infer it from) is
        # absent, the LM picks the target table per call (see query_generator).
        if table_name is None and schema is not None:
            table_name = schema.get("title") or None
        self.table_name = table_name

        if output_format not in ("json", "csv"):
            raise ValueError(
                f"`output_format` must be 'json' or 'csv', got {output_format!r}"
            )
        self.output_format = output_format

        if not isinstance(k, int) or k < 1:
            raise ValueError(f"`k` must be a positive integer, got {k!r}")
        self.k = k
        self.threshold = threshold
        self.ef_search = ef_search

        self.prompt_template = prompt_template
        self.examples = examples
        self.instructions = instructions
        self.seed_instructions = seed_instructions
        self.temperature = temperature
        self.max_tokens = max_tokens
        self.top_p = top_p
        self.top_k = top_k
        self.use_inputs_schema = use_inputs_schema
        self.use_outputs_schema = use_outputs_schema
        self.return_inputs = return_inputs
        self.return_query = return_query

        # When the target table is fixed, the generator only produces the search
        # queries. When it is not, concatenate an enum field (the KB's actual
        # tables) onto the query schema so the LM also infers `table_name`.
        if self.table_name is None:
            gen_target = {
                "schema": concat_infer_fields(
                    SimilaritySearchInput.get_schema(),
                    [
                        (
                            "table_name",
                            "The knowledge-base table to search, chosen to best "
                            "answer the inputs.",
                            kb_table_names(self.knowledge_base),
                        )
                    ],
                )
            }
        else:
            gen_target = {"data_model": SimilaritySearchInput}

        self.query_generator = Generator(
            **gen_target,
            language_model=self.language_model,
            prompt_template=self.prompt_template,
            examples=self.examples,
            instructions=self.instructions,
            seed_instructions=self.seed_instructions,
            temperature=self.temperature,
            max_tokens=self.max_tokens,
            top_p=self.top_p,
            top_k=self.top_k,
            use_inputs_schema=self.use_inputs_schema,
            use_outputs_schema=self.use_outputs_schema,
            return_inputs=False,
            name="similarity_search_query_generator_" + self.name,
        )

    async def call(self, inputs, training=False):
        if not inputs:
            return None

        query = await self.query_generator(inputs, training=training)
        if not query:
            return None
        query_json = query.get_json()
        queries = query_json.get("similarity_search", [])
        # Fixed table, or the one the LM inferred this call.
        table_name = self.table_name or query_json.get("table_name")
        if not queries or not table_name:
            return None

        rows = await self.knowledge_base.similarity_search(
            queries,
            table_name=table_name,
            k=self.k,
            threshold=self.threshold,
            ef_search=self.ef_search,
            output_format=self.output_format,
        )
        results = JsonDataModel(
            json={"result": rows},
            schema=GenericResult.get_schema(),
            name=self.name,
        )
        if self.return_query:
            results = await ops.logical_and(
                query,
                results,
                name="results_with_query_" + self.name,
            )
        if self.return_inputs:
            results = await ops.logical_and(
                inputs,
                results,
                name="results_with_inputs_" + self.name,
            )
        return results

    async def compute_output_spec(self, inputs, training=False):
        query = await self.query_generator(inputs, training=training)
        results = SymbolicDataModel(
            schema=GenericResult.get_schema(),
            name=self.name,
        )
        if self.return_query:
            results = await ops.logical_and(
                query,
                results,
                name="results_with_query_" + self.name,
            )
        if self.return_inputs:
            results = await ops.logical_and(
                inputs,
                results,
                name="results_with_inputs_" + self.name,
            )
        return results

    def get_config(self):
        config = {
            "schema": self.schema,
            "table_name": self.table_name,
            "k": self.k,
            "threshold": self.threshold,
            "ef_search": self.ef_search,
            "output_format": self.output_format,
            "prompt_template": self.prompt_template,
            "examples": self.examples,
            "instructions": self.instructions,
            "seed_instructions": self.seed_instructions,
            "temperature": self.temperature,
            "max_tokens": self.max_tokens,
            "top_p": self.top_p,
            "top_k": self.top_k,
            "use_inputs_schema": self.use_inputs_schema,
            "use_outputs_schema": self.use_outputs_schema,
            "return_inputs": self.return_inputs,
            "return_query": self.return_query,
            "name": self.name,
            "description": self.description,
            "trainable": self.trainable,
        }
        knowledge_base_config = {
            "knowledge_base": serialization_lib.serialize_synalinks_object(
                self.knowledge_base,
            )
        }
        language_model_config = {
            "language_model": serialization_lib.serialize_synalinks_object(
                self.language_model,
            )
        }
        return {
            **config,
            **knowledge_base_config,
            **language_model_config,
        }

    @classmethod
    def from_config(cls, config):
        knowledge_base = serialization_lib.deserialize_synalinks_object(
            config.pop("knowledge_base")
        )
        language_model = serialization_lib.deserialize_synalinks_object(
            config.pop("language_model")
        )
        return cls(
            knowledge_base=knowledge_base,
            language_model=language_model,
            **config,
        )

SimilaritySearchInput

Bases: DataModel

Input shape for SimilaritySearch.

Source code in synalinks/src/modules/retrievers/similarity_search.py
class SimilaritySearchInput(DataModel):
    """Input shape for `SimilaritySearch`."""

    similarity_search: List[str] = Field(
        description="Natural-language queries for vector similarity",
    )