# Chat Tool - General Development Chat & Collaborative Thinking

**Your thinking partner - bounce ideas, get second opinions, brainstorm collaboratively**

The `chat` tool is your collaborative thinking partner for development conversations. It's designed to help you brainstorm, validate ideas, get second opinions, and explore alternatives in a conversational format.

## Thinking Mode

**Default is `medium` (8,192 tokens).** Use `low` for quick questions to save tokens, or `high` for complex discussions when thoroughness matters.

## Example Prompt

```
Chat with zen and pick the best model for this job. I need to pick between Redis and Memcached for session storage 
and I need an expert opinion for the project I'm working on. Get a good idea of what the project does, pick one of the two options
and then debate with the other models to give me a final verdict
```

**Another Example**:

* We ask Claude code to pick one, then `chat` with `gemini` to make a final decision
* Gemini responds, confirming choice. We use `continuation` to ask another question using the same conversation thread
* Gemini responds with explanation. We use continuation again, using `/zen:continue (MCP)` command the second time

<div style="center">
  
[Chat With Gemini_web.webm](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/37bd57ca-e8a6-42f7-b5fb-11de271e95db)

</div>

## Key Features

- **Collaborative thinking partner** for your analysis and planning
- **Get second opinions** on your designs and approaches
- **Brainstorm solutions** and explore alternatives together
- **Validate your checklists** and implementation plans
- **General development questions** and explanations
- **Technology comparisons** and best practices
- **Architecture and design discussions**
- **File reference support**: `"Use gemini to explain this algorithm with context from algorithm.py"`
- **Image support**: Include screenshots, diagrams, UI mockups for visual analysis: `"Chat with gemini about this error dialog screenshot to understand the user experience issue"`
- **Dynamic collaboration**: Gemini can request additional files or context during the conversation if needed for a more thorough response
- **Web search awareness**: Automatically identifies when online research would help and instructs Claude to perform targeted searches using continuation IDs

## Tool Parameters

- `prompt`: Your question or discussion topic (required)
- `model`: auto|pro|flash|flash-2.0|flashlite|o3|o3-mini|o4-mini|gpt4.1|gpt5|gpt5-mini|gpt5-nano (default: server default)
- `files`: Optional files for context (absolute paths)
- `images`: Optional images for visual context (absolute paths)
- `temperature`: Response creativity (0-1, default 0.5)
- `thinking_mode`: minimal|low|medium|high|max (default: medium, Gemini only)
- `continuation_id`: Continue previous conversations

## Usage Examples

**Basic Development Chat:**
```
"Chat with zen about the best approach for user authentication in my React app"
```

**Technology Comparison:**
```
"Use flash to discuss whether PostgreSQL or MongoDB would be better for my e-commerce platform"
```

**Architecture Discussion:**
```
"Chat with pro about microservices vs monolith architecture for my project, consider scalability and team size"
```

**File Context Analysis:**
```
"Use gemini to chat about the current authentication implementation in auth.py and suggest improvements"
```

**Visual Analysis:**
```
"Chat with gemini about this UI mockup screenshot - is the user flow intuitive?"
```

## Best Practices

- **Be specific about context**: Include relevant files or describe your project scope
- **Ask for trade-offs**: Request pros/cons for better decision-making
- **Use conversation continuation**: Build on previous discussions with `continuation_id`
- **Leverage visual context**: Include diagrams, mockups, or screenshots when discussing UI/UX
- **Encourage research**: When you suspect documentation has changed, explicitly ask the assistant to confirm by requesting a web search

## When to Use Chat vs Other Tools

- **Use `chat`** for: Open-ended discussions, brainstorming, getting second opinions, technology comparisons
- **Use `thinkdeep`** for: Extending specific analysis, challenging assumptions, deeper reasoning
- **Use `analyze`** for: Understanding existing code structure and patterns
- **Use `debug`** for: Specific error diagnosis and troubleshooting