class RubyLLM::Task

A tool call that finishes later. Return one from Tool#execute and a chat pauses the call instead of waiting for it, the way it pauses for an approval. Chat#pending_tasks returns the tasks it waits on, and each Chat#complete hands every one back to its tool’s Tool#resume, which returns the call’s result once it has one:

class RequestSignature < RubyLLM::Tool
  description "Sends a contract for signature and reports when it is signed"

  def execute(contract_id:)
    envelope = Signatures.send_for_signature(Contract.find(contract_id))
    RubyLLM::Task.new(status: :input_required, data: { "envelope_id" => envelope.id })
  end

  def resume(task, **)
    envelope = Signatures.find(task.data["envelope_id"])
    envelope.signed? ? "Signed on #{envelope.signed_on}" : task
  end
end

A task is saved with its tool call as to_h, so a Rails chat can pause in one process and resume in another. MCP::Task is the task of an MCP tool call that a server runs in the background.

Attributes

data [R]

The tool’s own state for the task, a Hash with String keys that serializes to JSON.

poll_interval [R]

How many seconds to wait before checking on the task again, or nil.

status [R]

The task’s state as a Symbol: :working, :input_required, :completed, :failed, or :cancelled.

status_message [R]

What the task is doing, such as how far it got, or nil.

tool_call [R]

The ToolCall paused on the task, when it came from a chat.

Public Class Methods

load (state, tool_call: nil)

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 53
def self.load(state, tool_call: nil)
  task = state.fetch('task')
  new(status: task.fetch('status'), status_message: task['status_message'],
      poll_interval: task['poll_interval'], data: task.fetch('data', {}), tool_call:)
end

Returns the Task that state, the Hash to_h returned, describes.

new (status: :working, status_message: nil, poll_interval: nil, data: {}, tool_call: nil)

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 63
def initialize(status: :working, status_message: nil, poll_interval: nil, data: {}, tool_call: nil)
  @status = status.to_sym
  raise ArgumentError, "Unknown task status: #{status.inspect}" unless STATUSES.include?(@status)

  @status_message = status_message
  @poll_interval = poll_interval
  @data = Support::Utils.deep_stringify_keys(Support::Utils.deep_dup(data))
  @tool_call = tool_call
end

Returns a task with status, :working unless the call waits on a person, :input_required. data is what Tool#resume needs to carry the call on, as a Hash that serializes to JSON. Raises ArgumentError for a status other than the five status lists.

Public Instance Methods

cancel ()

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 108
def cancel
  self
end

Stops the task and returns self. A chat calls it when it is cancelled while the call waits. Subclasses that can stop their work override it; the base implementation does nothing.

cancelled? ()

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 95
def cancelled?
  status == :cancelled
end

Returns true when the task was cancelled before it finished.

complete? ()

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 80
def complete?
  FINISHED.include?(status)
end

Returns true once the task completed, failed, or was cancelled.

failed? ()

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 90
def failed?
  status == :failed
end

Returns true when the task failed with an error.

input_required? ()

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 75
def input_required?
  status == :input_required
end

Returns true when the task waits on a person, so checking on it changes nothing until they act.

refresh ()

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 101
def refresh
  self
end

Checks on the task once and returns self. Subclasses that can check on their work override it; the base implementation does nothing.

succeeded? ()

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 85
def succeeded?
  status == :completed
end

Returns true when the task finished with a result.

to_h ()

Source

# File lib/ruby_llm/task.rb, line 114
def to_h
  task = { 'status' => status.to_s, 'status_message' => status_message,
           'poll_interval' => poll_interval, 'data' => (data unless data.empty?) }
  { 'task' => task.compact }
end

Returns the task as a Hash that serializes to JSON, which ::load turns back into the task.