LangChain in Practice: Tools, Templates & Memory Walkthrough
In the previous module, we explored the core concepts of LangChain โ what chains, agents, tools, and memory are and why they matter. Now itโs time to connect those pieces and walk through how to use them together to build a context-aware, multi-functional LLM application.
This module focuses on practical integration:
- ๐ง Prompt templates + LLM + memory = intelligent chatbot
- ๐ง Tools + chains = agents with real-world capabilities
- ๐ฆ Document loaders + vector stores = RAG-powered search
Below diagram depict Langchain component blueprint:
Each section below includes guidance, tips, and ๐ ๏ธ Try This blocks so you can build while you learn.
๐งฑ Prompt Templates
PromptTemplates let you design structured prompts with dynamic variables. Ideal for standardizing inputs to your LLMs.
๐ ๏ธ Try This: Create a prompt template that accepts a product_name and asks the LLM to generate a one-line elevator pitch.
PromptTemplate.from_template("Give me a one-line pitch for {product_name}")
๐ก Tip: Keep prompt templates modular and reusable across chains.
๐ง Memory
LangChain offers memory modules like ConversationBufferMemory, ConversationSummaryMemory, and EntityMemory.
๐ ๏ธ Try This: Use ConversationSummaryMemory for long chats to reduce token size while preserving context.
ConversationSummaryMemory(llm=ChatOpenAI())
โ ๏ธ Common Pitfall: Avoid unbounded memory in productionโcan lead to excessive cost or latency.
๐ง Tools & Toolkits
Tools extend your LLMโs capabilities. Combine them with Agents or use them in Chains.
๐ ๏ธ Try This: Load a calculator tool and let your agent solve โWhat is 5 * sqrt(49)?โ
๐ก Tip: Use LangChainโs built-in load_tools or define your own custom tools for APIs.
๐ Chains
Chains help you sequence LLM calls and other logic. Common types include:
- LLMChain
- SequentialChain
- RouterChain
๐ ๏ธ Try This: Create a SequentialChain that extracts entities from text, then summarizes them.
โ ๏ธ Gotcha: Ensure your intermediate chain outputs match the next chainโs expected inputs.
๐ Document Loaders & Vector Stores
Perfect for building document Q&A or semantic search bots.
๐ ๏ธ Try This: Load a PDF using PyPDFLoader, chunk it, embed using OpenAIEmbeddings, and store in FAISS.
๐ก Tip: Use RecursiveCharacterTextSplitter for balanced token chunking.
๐งพ Output Parsers
Output Parsers help you convert LLM text into structured data formats โ useful for validation and interop.
๐ ๏ธ Try This: Use PydanticOutputParser to extract structured product info (name, price) from text.
โ ๏ธ Best Practice: Always show format_instructions to the LLM as part of the prompt.
๐ Recap
This module focused on practical workflows using LangChain building blocks. Hereโs what youโve integrated:
- Templates + LLMs โ Structured generation
- Memory + Chains โ Conversational assistants
- Tools + Agents โ Real-world automation
- Document loading + RAG โ Knowledge bots
- Output Parsers โ Structured API-like responses
In the next module, weโll build complete apps using these integrated patterns.
โก๏ธ Ready? Letโs Build a LangChain-Powered Assistant โ