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React revolutionized web development with components that combine logic, structure, and style. Now, with assistant-ui, we're adding a fourth dimension: intelligence. Let's learn how to build smart components through a practical banking app example.

The Evolution of Components#

Traditional React components combine three elements:

// Traditional React Component
function TransactionHistory({ transactions }) {
  // 1. Logic (JavaScript/TypeScript)
  const handleRefund = (transactionId) => {
    // Process refund...
  };

  // 2. Structure (JSX/TSX)
  return (
    // 3. Style (CSS via className)
    <div className="transaction-list">
      {transactions.map((transaction) => (
        <div key={transaction.id} className="transaction-item">
          <span>${transaction.amount}</span>
          <span>{transaction.merchant}</span>
          <button onClick={() => handleRefund(transaction.id)}>
            Request Refund
          </button>
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

Adding Intelligence#

With assistant-ui, we can enhance this component with intelligence using four powerful APIs:

1. Making Components Readable (makeAssistantVisible)#

First, let's make our buttons "readable" and interactive:

import { makeAssistantVisible } from "@assistant-ui/react";

// Make the refund button intelligent
const SmartButton = makeAssistantVisible(
  ({ onClick, children }) => <button onClick={onClick}>{children}</button>,
  {
    clickable: true, // Allow the assistant to click the button
  },
);

function TransactionHistory({ transactions }) {
  return (
    <div className="transaction-list">
      {transactions.map((transaction) => (
        <div key={transaction.id} className="transaction-item">
          <span>${transaction.amount}</span>
          <span>{transaction.merchant}</span>
          <SmartButton onClick={() => handleRefund(transaction.id)}>
            Request Refund
          </SmartButton>
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

Now the assistant can:

Understand the transaction history structure
Interact with refund buttons
Help users manage their transactions

2. Adding System Instructions (useAssistantInstructions)#

Next, let's give the assistant specific instructions about its role:

import { useAssistantInstructions } from "@assistant-ui/react";

function SmartTransactionHistory() {
  useAssistantInstructions(`
    You are a helpful banking assistant that:
    1. Helps users understand their transactions
    2. Explains refund policies
    3. Identifies suspicious transactions
    4. Guides users through the refund process
  `);

  return <TransactionHistory transactions={transactions} />;
}

3. Creating Tools (makeAssistantTool)#

Let's add transaction-specific tools for the assistant:

import { makeAssistantTool, tool } from "@assistant-ui/react";
import { z } from "zod";

// Define a tool to analyze transactions
const analyzeTransaction = tool({
  parameters: z.object({
    transactionId: z.string(),
    merchantName: z.string(),
  }),
  execute: async ({ transactionId, merchantName }) => {
    // Analyze transaction patterns, merchant reputation, etc.
    return {
      isSuspicious: false,
      merchantRating: 4.5,
      similarTransactions: 3,
      refundEligible: true,
    };
  },
});

// Create a tool component
const TransactionAnalyzer = makeAssistantTool({
  ...analyzeTransaction,
  toolName: "analyzeTransaction",
});

function SmartTransactionHistory() {
  // Previous instructions...
  return (
    <>
      <TransactionHistory transactions={transactions} />
      <TransactionAnalyzer />
    </>
  );
}

4. Adding Custom Context (Model Context)#

Finally, let's add dynamic context based on the user's transaction patterns:

import { useAui } from "@assistant-ui/react";
import { useEffect } from "react";

function SmartTransactionHistory({ userProfile }) {
  const aui = useAui();

  useEffect(() => {
    return aui.modelContext().register({
      getModelContext: () => ({
        system: `
          User spending patterns:
          - Average transaction: ${userProfile.avgTransaction}
          - Common merchants: ${userProfile.frequentMerchants.join(", ")}
          - Refund history: ${userProfile.refundCount} requests
        `,
      }),
    });
  }, [aui, userProfile]);

  // Previous components...
}

The Result: An Intelligent Banking Experience#

This enhanced component now provides:

Natural language interaction with transaction history
Contextual help for understanding transactions
Automated transaction analysis
Smart refund assistance

The assistant can now:

Read and understand transaction details
Follow banking-specific guidelines
Use tools to analyze transactions
Access user patterns for personalized help

This creates a more intuitive and safer banking experience while maintaining the familiar React component model.

Next Steps#

Learn more about each API:

makeAssistantVisible for component understanding
makeAssistantTool for transaction analysis
useAssistantInstructions for behavior guidance
Model Context for dynamic context management