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he talk

Chat with your knowledge abstract using natural language.

Synopsis

he talk KA_PATH [OPTIONS]

Arguments

Argument Description
KA_PATH Path to knowledge abstract directory

Options

Option Short Description
--query -q Single question to ask
--top-k -n Number of context items to retrieve
--interactive -i Enter interactive chat mode

Description

The talk command lets you have a conversation with your knowledge abstract:

  1. Retrieves relevant context — Searches for information related to your question
  2. Generates answer — Uses LLM to synthesize a natural language response
  3. Shows sources — Displays which items were used to generate the answer

Requires: Search index must be built.

Examples

Single Question

he talk ./output/ -q "What were Tesla's major achievements?"

Output: 

Query: What were Tesla's major achievements?
Knowledge Abstract: ./output/
Top K: 3

Nikola Tesla made numerous groundbreaking contributions to electrical 
engineering. His major achievements include:

1. Development of the alternating current (AC) electrical system, which 
   became the dominant method of power transmission worldwide.

2. Invention of the Tesla coil, used in radio technology and electrical 
   resonant circuits.

3. Contributions to the development of X-ray imaging and wireless 
   communication technologies.

Retrieved context:
1. Nikola Tesla: Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer...
2. AC Power System: Type: invention, Description: System for alternating...
3. Tesla Coil: Type: invention, Description: Resonant transformer circuit...

Interactive Mode

he talk ./output/ -i

Session: 

Entering interactive mode. Type 'exit' or 'quit' to stop.

Knowledge Abstract: ./output/
Template: general/biography_graph
Top K: 3

> Who was Nikola Tesla?
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, 
mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions 
to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity 
supply system.

> When was he born?
Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856, in Smiljan, Croatia.

> What about his relationship with Edison?
Tesla worked for Thomas Edison in New York City in 1884. They had 
a contentious relationship due to differing views on direct current 
(DC) versus alternating current (AC) power systems.

> exit
Goodbye!

Other useful commands:
  he show ./output/              # Visualize
  he search ./output/ "keyword"  # Search
  he info ./output/              # View info

With More Context

Increase context for complex questions:

he talk ./output/ -q "Explain the War of Currents" -n 10

Interactive Commands

In interactive mode (-i):

Command Action
exit, quit, q Exit interactive mode
help Show available commands

Use Cases

Research Assistant

he talk ./paper_kb/ -q "Summarize the main contributions of this paper"

he talk ./contract_kb/ -q "What are the termination conditions?"

Historical Research

he talk ./bio_kb/ -q "What events led to Tesla's financial difficulties?"

How It Works

  1. Semantic Search — Finds relevant items in the knowledge abstract
  2. Context Assembly — Combines retrieved items into context
  3. LLM Generation — Generates answer using the context
  4. Source Attribution — Shows which items informed the answer

Tips for Better Answers

  1. Be specific — "What inventions did Tesla create?" vs "Tell me about Tesla"
  2. Ask follow-ups — Build context through conversation
  3. Adjust top-k — Use -n 5 or higher for complex questions
  4. Check sources — Review "Retrieved context" for accuracy
Feature he search he talk
Output Raw entities/relations Natural language
Best for Finding specific data Understanding/explaining
Speed Fast Slower (LLM call)
Source visibility Direct Cited in context

Troubleshooting

"Index not found"

he build-index ./output/

"No relevant information"

  • Try rephrasing your question
  • Increase context with -n 10
  • Verify knowledge abstract has relevant data: he info ./output/

See Also