OpenAI.Responses - v0.5.1 released; union types via anyOf, manual function calling with call_functions/2, error handling with retry support, and flexible map/keyword list options

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openai_responses library has been updated to v0.5.1, bringing significant enhancements since v0.4.0. This release adds union type support, manual function calling control, built-in error handling with retry logic, and flexible API options. See the full changelog for complete details.

Union Types with anyOf

Define properties that can be multiple types:

alias OpenAI.Responses

Responses.create!(
  input: "Generate a product listing",
  schema: %{
    price: {:anyOf, [:number, :string]},  # Can be 29.99 or "$29.99"
    tags: {:anyOf, [:string, {:array, :string}]}  # Can be "electronics" or ["laptop", "gaming"]
  }
)

Manual Function Calling

Take control of function execution with the new call_functions/2:

  # Get a response with function calls
  {:ok, response} = Responses.create(
    input: "What's the weather in Paris and London?",
    tools: [weather_tool]
  )

  # Manually execute functions with custom logic
  outputs = Responses.call_functions(response.function_calls, %{
    "get_weather" => fn %{"location" => city} ->
      # Add logging, caching, or modify results
      Logger.info("Weather requested for #{city}")

      weather = fetch_weather_from_api(city)
      %{temperature: weather.temp, conditions: weather.desc, cached_at: DateTime.utc_now()}
    end
  })

  # Continue conversation with enriched results
  {:ok, final} = Responses.create(response, input: outputs)

Error Handling with Retry Support

The new OpenAI.Responses.Error module provides intelligent error handling:

  case Responses.create(input: "Hello") do
    {:ok, response} ->
      IO.puts(response.text)

    {:error, error} ->
      if OpenAI.Responses.Error.retryable?(error) do
        # Retry with exponential backoff for 429, 500, 503, or timeout errors
        :timer.sleep(1000)
        # retry the request
      else
        # Handle non-retryable errors
        Logger.error("API error: #{error.message}")
      end
  end

Flexible API Options

All major functions now accept both keyword lists and maps:

  # Traditional keyword list
  Responses.create(input: "Hello", model: "gpt-4o", temperature: 0.7)

  # Using maps (great for dynamic options)
  options = %{input: "Hello", model: "gpt-4o", temperature: 0.7}
  Responses.create(options)

  # Works with streaming too
  Responses.stream(%{
    input: "Write a story",
    stream: Responses.Stream.delta(&IO.write/1)
  })

Additional Improvements

  • Model preservation in follow-up responses (no more accidentally switching models)
  • Function calls now properly handle JSON-encodable return values
  • Support for string keys in schema definitions (database-friendly)
  • Cost calculation for new models including o3
  • Enhanced documentation and LLM usage guide

The API remains backward compatible while providing more flexibility and control over your AI interactions.

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