Universal Method

A powerful package that converts natural language queries into typed responses using AI. Supports both OpenAI and Google's Gemini models.

Features

• Convert natural language queries to typed responses
• Support for multiple AI models (OpenAI and Gemini)
• Type-safe responses (String, Number, Boolean, Object, Array, or custom types)
• Automatic type conversion and validation
• Configurable model options and temperature
• Error handling with appropriate default values
• Automatic retries with error feedback (up to 2 retries)
• No manual logic needed - just ask in natural language!

Installation

npm install @sumit-paul/universal-method

Quick Start

import { universalMethod } from '@sumit-paul/universal-method';

// Get a typed response for a data transformation
const result = await universalMethod(
  'Convert this date string "2024-03-19" to a more readable format',
  String
);

// Parse and validate JSON data
const data = await universalMethod(
  'Parse this JSON string: {"name": "John", "age": 30}',
  Object
);

// Extract specific information
const numbers = await universalMethod(
  'Extract all numbers from this text: "The price is $99.99 and quantity is 5"',
  Array
);

// Validate boolean conditions
const isValid = await universalMethod(
  'Check if "[email protected]" is a valid email address',
  Boolean
);

// Custom options
const custom = await universalMethod('Complex query', String, {
  model: 'gpt-4',
  temperature: 0.7
});

Error Handling and Retries

Universal Method includes automatic retry functionality when type conversion fails:

// If the AI response can't be converted to the expected type,
// the system will automatically retry up to 2 times with error feedback
const result = await universalMethod(
  'Give me a number between 1 and 10',
  Number
);

// If all retries fail, it returns the appropriate default value:
// - 0 for Number
// - false for Boolean
// - [] for Array
// - {} for Object
// - '' for String
// - null for custom types

The retry system:

1. Logs the conversion error to stderr
2. Creates a new prompt that includes:
   • The original query
   • The error message
   • The expected return type
3. Makes up to 2 retry attempts
4. Returns the default value if all retries fail

Examples

1. Data Parsing and Validation

// Parse complex JSON structures
const parsedData = await universalMethod(
  'Parse this nested JSON: {"user": {"name": "John", "settings": {"theme": "dark"}}}',
  Object
);

// Validate data format
const isValidFormat = await universalMethod(
  'Check if "2024-03-19T10:00:00Z" is a valid ISO date string',
  Boolean
);

2. Text Processing

// Extract structured data from text
const extractedData = await universalMethod(
  'Extract name, email, and phone from: "Contact John at [email protected] or 123-456-7890"',
  Object
);

// Format text according to rules
const formattedText = await universalMethod(
  'Format this text as a proper title: "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"',
  String
);

3. Data Transformation

// Convert between data formats
const convertedData = await universalMethod(
  'Convert this CSV row to JSON: "name,age,city\nJohn,30,New York"',
  Object
);

// Transform data structure
const transformedData = await universalMethod(
  'Transform this array of objects to group by category: [{"name": "Item1", "category": "A"}, {"name": "Item2", "category": "A"}]',
  Object
);

4. Data Validation

// Validate data against rules
const validationResult = await universalMethod(
  'Check if this password meets security requirements: "Password123!"',
  Object
);

// Validate business rules
const businessValidation = await universalMethod(
  'Check if order total $150 with 10% discount is valid for free shipping (threshold: $100)',
  Boolean
);

5. Data Extraction

// Extract specific information
const extractedInfo = await universalMethod(
  'Extract all URLs from this text: "Visit https://example.com or http://test.com"',
  Array
);

// Parse complex strings
const parsedInfo = await universalMethod(
  'Parse this log entry: "[2024-03-19 10:00:00] ERROR: Connection failed (code: 404)"',
  Object
);

Why Universal Method?

Universal Method eliminates the need for writing complex manual logic. Instead of:

• Writing regex patterns for text manipulation
• Implementing complex data parsing logic
• Creating validation functions
• Building data transformation utilities
• Writing string manipulation code

Just ask in natural language and get typed responses!

Configuration

Set the following environment variables:

UNIVERSAL_METHOD_KEY=your_api_key_here
UNIVERSAL_METHOD_MODEL=openai  # or 'gemini'

API

universalMethod(query: string, returnType?: ReturnType, options?: UniversalMethodOptions): Promise<unknown>

• query: The natural language query to process
• returnType: The expected return type (String, Number, Boolean, Object, Array, or custom constructor)
• options: Optional configuration
  • model: Override the default AI model
  • temperature: Control response randomness (0.0 to 1.0)

The function will automatically retry up to 2 times if type conversion fails, providing error feedback to the AI model.

Best Practices

1. Type Safety: Always specify the return type for better type inference and validation
2. Error Handling: Wrap calls in try-catch blocks for graceful error handling
3. Temperature: Adjust temperature based on your needs:
   • Lower (0.1-0.3): More consistent, factual responses
   • Higher (0.7-0.9): More creative, varied responses
4. Model Selection: Choose the appropriate model based on your use case:
   • GPT-4: Complex reasoning, detailed responses
   • GPT-3.5: General purpose, faster responses
   • Gemini: Alternative option with good performance

Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the package
npm run build

# Run tests
npm test

# Type checking
npm run typecheck

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT