Fully Local Chat-With-PDF App tutorial under 2.5 minutes 🚀 Using LlamaIndex TS, Ollama, Next.JS

Introduction

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a fully local chat-with-PDF application using LlamaIndex TS, Ollama, and Next.js. This app allows you to interact with PDF documents in real time while maintaining a completely local environment. It features an auto-scrolling preview that navigates to relevant sections of the PDF based on user queries. This guide is ideal for developers interested in building interactive applications with modern tech stacks.

Step 1: Set Up Your Development Environment

Before you start coding, ensure you have the necessary tools installed on your machine.

• Install Node.js if you haven't already. Download it from nodejs.org.
• Install a package manager like npm or yarn.
• Clone the GitHub repository for this project:

  git clone https://github.com/rsrohan99/local-pdf-ai
  

• Navigate into the project directory:

  cd local-pdf-ai
  

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Once you have your environment set up, you need to install the required dependencies.

• Run the following command in your terminal:

  npm install
  

• This command will install all the packages specified in the project’s package.json file.

Step 3: Configure Ollama

To enable the chat functionality, you need to set up Ollama to run both embed and language models.

• Follow the instructions on the Ollama documentation to download and configure the models.
• Ensure that your model paths and environment variables are correctly set in your configuration files.

Step 4: Implement LlamaIndex TS

Next, you will integrate LlamaIndex TS for Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).

• Import LlamaIndex into your project:

  import { LlamaIndex } from 'llamaindex-ts';
  

• Set up the index for your PDF files. You will need to create an instance and load your PDF documents.

Step 5: Create the Next.js Server Action

Set up the server actions in your Next.js application to handle requests.

• In your Next.js API routes, create a file for your chat functionality:

  export default async function handler(req, res) {
      // Handle chat requests here
  }
  

• Use the embedded models to process user queries and interact with your PDF.

Step 6: Implement the Auto-scrolling Preview Feature

To enhance user experience, implement the auto-scroll feature that directs users to relevant sections in the PDF.

• Add event listeners to your chat interface to capture user input.
• Use the retrieved text’s position to scroll the PDF viewer:

  const scrollToPage = (pageNumber) => {
      // Logic to scroll to the specified page
  };
  

Conclusion

You've successfully set up a fully local chat-with-PDF application using LlamaIndex TS, Ollama, and Next.js. This app allows users to interact with PDFs efficiently while maintaining local data privacy.

Next Steps

• Explore more features like user authentication.
• Consider deploying your application or extending it with additional functionalities.
• Check the detailed tutorial linked in the description for more insights and advanced configurations.