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Pipe Operators

MTHDS Standard Reference

Pipe operators are part of the MTHDS open standard. For the authoritative language specification, see Pipes & Operators on mthds.ai. This page documents Pipelex-specific behavior and usage.

Pipe operators are the fundamental building blocks in Pipelex, representing a single, focused task. They are the "verbs" of your pipeline that perform the actual work.

Each operator specializes in a specific kind of action, from interacting with Large Language Models to executing custom Python code. You combine these operators using Pipe Controllers to create complex methods.

Core Operators

Here are the primary pipe operators available in Pipelex:

  • PipeLLM: The core operator for all interactions with Large Language Models (LLMs), including text generation, structured data extraction, and vision tasks.
  • PipeExtract: Performs Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on images and PDF documents to extract text and embedded images.
  • PipeImgGen: Generates images from a text prompt using models like GPT Image, Flux, or other image generation models.
  • PipeSearch: Searches the web using a configurable search provider and returns structured results with an answer and source citations.
  • PipeFunc: An escape hatch that allows you to execute any custom Python function, giving you maximum flexibility.
  • PipeCompose: Renders a Jinja2 template using data from the working memory, perfect for creating formatted reports or complex prompts.

Overview

Pipelex provides the following pipe operators:

  • PipeLLM: For LLM-based text generation and processing
  • PipeExtract: For optical character recognition and document processing
  • PipeFunc: For executing custom functions
  • PipeImgGen: For AI-powered image generation
  • PipeSearch: For web search with structured results

PipeLLM

Core operator for LLM-based text generation and processing.

Key Features

  • Text generation
  • Structured output generation
  • Multiple output modes
  • System prompt customization
  • LLM configuration

Key Features

  • Sequential execution
  • Working memory management
  • Sub-pipe handling
  • Pipeline composition

PipeExtract

Processes images and PDFs using Optical Character Recognition.

Key Features

  • PDF processing
  • Image processing
  • Text extraction
  • Image extraction
  • Page view generation

PipeFunc

Executes custom functions within the pipeline.

Key Features

  • Custom function execution
  • Working memory integration
  • Multiple output types
  • Function registry integration

PipeImgGen

Generates and manipulates images.

Key Features

  • Image generation
  • Quality control
  • Multiple output formats
  • Batch processing
  • Parameter customization

PipeSearch

Searches the web and returns structured results with sources.

Key Features

  • Web search via configurable providers
  • Structured results with answer and source citations
  • Dynamic prompt templates with $variable syntax
  • Standard and deep search models