LangChain

LangChain is an open-source framework designed to simplify the development of applications using large language models. It provides abstractions and utilities for common LLM application patterns including chains (sequences of operations), agents (autonomous decision-making), memory (conversation state), and integrations with various LLMs, vector stores, and tools.

Key LangChain components include: Document Loaders for ingesting various file formats, Text Splitters for chunking documents, Embeddings interfaces for generating vectors, Vector Stores for similarity search, Chains for composing LLM calls, and Agents for tool-using AI systems.

LangChain has become a popular choice for rapid prototyping and building LLM applications. However, engineers should understand that it adds abstraction overhead and may not be ideal for all production use cases. Alternatives like LlamaIndex (focused on RAG), Semantic Kernel, and direct API usage offer different tradeoffs. Familiarity with LangChain is valuable for AI engineers as it's widely used in the industry.