PHP functions that answer questions about text

One ThinkThen class over the C library, through PHP 8.3 FFI. Each call returns its answer and its run facts.

Install

Channel	Note
`composer require botassembly/thinkthen`
`thinkthen-php-VERSION-TARGET.tar.gz`	The package source, from each release.
`thinkthen-c-VERSION-TARGET.tar.gz`	The C library it calls, from the same release.

Set THINKTHEN_API_KEY in the environment.

A first call

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
require __DIR__ . '/thinkthen-php/autoload.php';

$library = __DIR__ . '/thinkthen-c/lib/libthinkthen.so';
$tt = new ThinkThen($library);

$question = 'Does the customer ask for a refund?';
$isRefund = $tt->decide(
    $question,
    'Please refund my order. It arrived broken.',
);
$outcome = $isRefund['value']['outcome'];
assert($outcome === ThinkThen::YES);

$refund = '{"decide": "' . $question . '", '
    . '"threshold": "0.2:0.8"}';
$backIsRefund = $tt->decide(
    $refund,
    'I want to send this back.',
);
$backOutcome = $backIsRefund['value']['outcome'];
assert($backOutcome === ThinkThen::UNSURE);
$tt->close();

Run it beside the unpacked archives, thinkthen-c/ and thinkthen-php/

php -d ffi.enable=1 \
    -d zend.assertions=1 \
    first-call.php

Not sure comes back as ThinkThen::UNSURE. Branch on it and send those cases to a person.

Run facts

decide returns an array. Its value holds the answer, and its facts holds this call's run facts as an array.

Errors

A failed call throws a ThinkThenFailure. Its kind names usage, backend, deadline, local, cancelled or defect, and it carries retryable and the message.

Settings and recording

new ThinkThen($library, $settingsJson) takes the settings as JSON. "record" writes a recording to a folder. "replay" answers from that recording with no connection. The Settings page lists every setting.

Jev, Liquid d1 and Ollama from PHP

PHP reads its backend from the environment. Set THINKTHEN_BACKEND to the name below. Set the backend's key variable in the shell, and the same sample asks that backend.

Backend	Name	Key variable
TypeSafe Jev	`typesafe`	`TYPESAFE_API_KEY`
Liquid d1	`liquid`	`LIQUIDAI_API_KEY`, then `LIQUID_API_KEY`
Ollama	`ollama`	`OLLAMA_API_KEY`. A local address needs no key.

Ask TypeSafe Jev.

export THINKTHEN_BACKEND=typesafe
export TYPESAFE_API_KEY=...

Ask Liquid d1.

export THINKTHEN_BACKEND=liquid
export LIQUIDAI_API_KEY=...

Ask Ollama. This block names a second port, 11535, as the site's runs do. On the default port, leave THINKTHEN_BASE_URL out.

export THINKTHEN_BACKEND=ollama
export THINKTHEN_BASE_URL=http://localhost:11535/v1

<?php
declare(strict_types=1);
require __DIR__ . '/thinkthen-php/autoload.php';

$library = __DIR__ . '/thinkthen-c/lib/libthinkthen.so';
$tt = new ThinkThen($library);

$question = 'Does the customer ask for a refund?';
$brokenIsRefund = $tt->decide(
    $question,
    'Please refund my order. It arrived broken.',
);
$thanksIsRefund = $tt->decide(
    $question,
    'Thanks for the quick help yesterday!',
);
$broken = $brokenIsRefund['value']['outcome'];
$thanks = $thanksIsRefund['value']['outcome'];
assert($broken === ThinkThen::YES);
assert($thanks === ThinkThen::NO);
$tt->close();

Run it beside the unpacked archives, thinkthen-c/ and thinkthen-php/

php -d ffi.enable=1 \
    -d zend.assertions=1 \
    backends.php

The configuration file's backend names a default backend for every run. The Configuration page shows the file.

OpenAI Decisions API from PHP

OpenAI announced its Decisions API on 2026-09-29 in its DevDay 2026 recap. OpenAI has published no address, schema or price, so ThinkThen cannot call it. The OpenAI Decisions API page says what ThinkThen knows.

What is different in PHP

PHP calls the C library through FFI. php takes -d ffi.enable=1.
new ThinkThen takes the C library's absolute path.
outcome holds 1, 0 or 2. ThinkThen::YES, NO and UNSURE name them.
assert runs only with -d zend.assertions=1.

On GitHub: github.com/botassembly/thinkthen