Implementation Guide for Running with Streamlit

This guide will help you implement the fixes to ensure your chat history persists in the Neon PostgreSQL database and messages display immediately in the conversation when using Streamlit directly (without Docker).

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Setup Instructions

1. Install Required Packages

First, make sure you have all the required packages:

pip install streamlit sqlalchemy psycopg2-binary python-dotenv openai

2. Create or Update .env File

Create a .env file in your project root directory with all required database credentials:

NEON_DB_USER=your_db_user
NEON_DB_PASSWORD=your_db_password
NEON_DB_HOST=your_db_host
NEON_DB_NAME=your_db_name
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key

3. Replace Key Files

Replace these three files with the updated versions I've provided:

1. models.py → Updated with dotenv support and better PostgreSQL configuration
2. db_manager.py → Enhanced with better error handling and logging
3. app.py → Completely redesigned to show immediate responses

4. Key Improvements

The main improvements in the updated code are:

Immediate Chat Display

The new app.py implements a two-phase approach:

• User message gets added immediately
• Response is processed and displayed without requiring another user action
• Uses session state to track the process of messages

Database Connection

• Uses python-dotenv to load environment variables from .env file
• Better error handling for database connections
• Comprehensive logging for any database issues

Debug Features

• Debug mode for administrators to see what's happening
• Detailed error tracing
• Raw chat history inspection

5. Running the Application

Run your application with:

streamlit run app.py

6. Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

1. Database Connection Errors:

   • Check that your .env file is in the correct location
   • Verify database credentials are correct
   • Enable debug mode as admin to see more details

2. Chat History Not Saving:

   • Check the debug panel to see if messages are being added to session state
   • Look for any error messages in the terminal where Streamlit is running
   • Try a simple SELECT query in Neon's SQL editor to check if records are being created

3. Messages Not Appearing Immediately:

   • This should be fixed with the new implementation
   • If issues persist, check the browser console for any errors

7. More Enhancements

Once the basic functionality is working, you could consider:

• Add a database status indicator in the admin panel
• Implement message timestamps
• Add export/import chat history functionality

The updated implementation should resolve your immediate issues with chat persistence and display responsiveness.