# dspy-adapters-multimodal

This skill guides DSPy adapter choices for structured responses, function calls, and image, audio, or document inputs. Use it when building DSPy-based AI applications.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · ★ 124
- Author: OmidZamani
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/OmidZamani/dspy-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-06-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal

## What it does

The skill explains how DSPy adapters affect model interaction and output formatting. `ChatAdapter` handles conversational text, `JSONAdapter` supports structured results and native function calling, and `XMLAdapter` presents fields using XML tags. `TwoStepAdapter` provides a separate extraction stage when a single pass is insufficient for parsing.

The examples cover adapter configuration through `dspy.configure()` and temporary overrides with `dspy.context()`. They also show how to define typed inputs with `dspy.Image`, `dspy.Audio`, and `dspy.File`. An image can come from a local path, an HTTP URL, raw bytes, a PIL image, or an existing data URI; audio and documents have their own loading methods.

Model support matters. DSPy uses manual parsing when the configured language model cannot perform native function calls. Check media support on the exact provider and model you plan to deploy. The skill also recommends calling `dspy.Image(...)` directly instead of relying on the deprecated `Image.from_file()` and `Image.from_url()` helpers.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OmidZamani/dspy-skills --skill dspy-adapters-multimodal -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OmidZamani/dspy-skills --skill dspy-adapters-multimodal -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OmidZamani/dspy-skills --skill dspy-adapters-multimodal -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install OmidZamani/dspy-skills dspy-adapters-multimodal
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OmidZamani/dspy-skills --skill dspy-adapters-multimodal -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/OmidZamani/dspy-skills --path skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add OmidZamani/dspy-skills --skill dspy-adapters-multimodal -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/OmidZamani/dspy-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- Choose an adapter for structured JSON responses
- Format prediction fields as XML
- Pass a local image into a DSPy prediction
- Summarize an audio recording or PDF
- Handle models without native function calling

## Example prompts
- Configure `JSONAdapter` so my DSPy prediction returns structured data.
- Show how to pass `./diagram.png` through `dspy.Image(...)` and generate an image description.
- Write a DSPy example that summarizes `./meeting.wav` with `dspy.Audio.from_file()`.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: e617d6734ca8532d.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE e617d6734ca8532d
````text
---
name: dspy-adapters-multimodal
version: "1.0.0"
dspy-compatibility: "3.2.1"
tags: ["multimodal"]
requires-extras: []
description: Use for DSPy adapter selection, JSONAdapter, XMLAdapter, ChatAdapter, native function calling, structured outputs, and multimodal inputs like dspy.Image or dspy.Audio.
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - Write
  - Glob
  - Grep
---

# DSPy Adapters and Multimodal I/O

## Goal

Choose an adapter deliberately and model image, audio, and file inputs with DSPy's typed primitives.

## Adapter Selection

| Adapter | Use it for |
|---------|------------|
| `dspy.ChatAdapter()` | Default, human-readable field markers, broad model compatibility |
| `dspy.JSONAdapter()` | Structured JSON output and native function calling where supported |
| `dspy.XMLAdapter()` | XML-tagged fields when XML is easier for the target LM to follow |
| `dspy.TwoStepAdapter()` | A separate extraction pass when parsing needs extra help |

Configure globally or for a limited scope:

```python
import dspy

dspy.configure(
    lm=dspy.LM("openai/gpt-4o-mini"),
    adapter=dspy.JSONAdapter(),
)

with dspy.context(adapter=dspy.XMLAdapter()):
    result = dspy.Predict("question -> answer")(question="What is DSPy?")
```

## Native Function Calling

`JSONAdapter` enables native function calling by default. `ChatAdapter` keeps text parsing by default. Override either behavior explicitly:

```python
chat_native = dspy.ChatAdapter(use_native_function_calling=True)
json_manual = dspy.JSONAdapter(use_native_function_calling=False)
```

DSPy falls back to manual parsing when the configured LM does not support native function calling.

## Image Inputs

```python
class DescribeImage(dspy.Signature):
    image: dspy.Image = dspy.InputField()
    description: str = dspy.OutputField()

describe = dspy.Predict(DescribeImage)
result = describe(image=dspy.Image("./diagram.png"))
```

Pass a local path, HTTP URL, bytes, PIL image, or existing data URI directly to `dspy.Image(...)`.

## Audio and File Inputs

```python
class SummarizeAudio(dspy.Signature):
    audio: dspy.Audio = dspy.InputField()
    summary: str = dspy.OutputField()

audio = dspy.Audio.from_file("./meeting.wav")
summary = dspy.Predict(SummarizeAudio)(audio=audio)
```

```python
class SummarizeFile(dspy.Signature):
    file: dspy.File = dspy.InputField()
    summary: str = dspy.OutputField()

document = dspy.File.from_path("./research.pdf")
summary = dspy.Predict(SummarizeFile)(file=document)
```
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE e617d6734ca8532d

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First 2475 of 3456 bytes. © OmidZamani · MIT · https://github.com/OmidZamani/dspy-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/dspy-adapters-multimodal/SKILL.md

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---
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