map (dictionary)

Map values (AKA Dictionaries) allow you to store key-value pairs.

Most of BAML (clients, tests, classes, etc) is represented as a map.

Syntax

To declare a map in a BAML file, you can use the following syntax:

1{
2  key1 value1,
3  key2 {
4    nestedKey1 nestedValue1,
5    nestedKey2 nestedValue2
6  }
7}

Key Points:

  • Colons: Not used in BAML maps; keys and values are separated by spaces.
  • Value Types: Maps can contain unquoted or quoted strings, booleans, numbers, and nested maps as values.
  • Classes: Classes in BAML are represented as maps with keys and values.

Usage Examples

Example 1: Simple Map

1class Person {
2    name string
3    age int
4    isEmployed bool
5}
6
7function DescribePerson(person: Person) -> string {
8    client "openai/gpt-4o-mini"
9    prompt #"
10        Describe the person with the following details: {{ person }}.
11    "#
12}
13
14test PersonDescription {
15    functions [DescribePerson]
16    args { 
17        person {
18            name "John Doe",
19            age 30,
20            isEmployed true
21        }
22    }
23}

Example 2: Nested Map

1class Company {
2    name string
3    location map<string, string>
4    employeeCount int
5}
6
7function DescribeCompany(company: Company) -> string {
8    client "openai/gpt-4o-mini"
9    prompt #"
10        Describe the company with the following details: {{ company }}.
11    "#
12}
13
14test CompanyDescription {
15    functions [DescribeCompany]
16    args { 
17        company {
18            name "TechCorp",
19            location {
20                city "San Francisco",
21                state "California"
22            },
23            employeeCount 500
24        }
25    }
26}

Example 3: Map with Multiline String

1class Project {
2    title string
3    description string
4}
5
6function DescribeProject(project: Project) -> string {
7    client "openai/gpt-4o-mini"
8    prompt #"
9        Describe the project with the following details: {{ project }}.
10    "#
11}
12
13test ProjectDescription {
14    functions [DescribeProject]
15    args { 
16        project {
17            title "AI Research",
18            description #"
19                This project focuses on developing
20                advanced AI algorithms to improve
21                machine learning capabilities.
22            "#
23        }
24    }
25}