botbook/src/04-gbui/apps/sources.md

Sources

Repositories, Apps, Prompts, Templates & MCP Servers

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Overview

Sources is where you connect everything your bot can reference. Add Git repositories, manage generated apps, configure prompts, and connect MCP servers. Most importantly, Sources enables @mentions in chat—reference @botserver to work on a repository or @myapp to modify an app you created.

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Tabs

Tab	What It Contains
Repositories	Git repos (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket)
Apps	HTMX apps created with CREATE SITE
Prompts	System prompts and templates
Templates	Bot packages (.gbai)
News	Platform updates and announcements
MCP Servers	Model Context Protocol servers
LLM Tools	Available LLM-invokable tools
Models	Configured AI models

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Repositories

Connect Git repositories so Tasks can read, modify, and commit code.

Adding a Repository

1. Click + Add Repository
2. Enter the repository URL (HTTPS or SSH)
3. Authenticate if private
4. Click Connect

Repository Card

Each connected repository shows:

Field	Description
Name	Repository name with @mention tag
Owner	Organization or user
Description	From repository README
Language	Primary programming language
Stars/Forks	GitHub metrics
Status	Connected or disconnected

Using @mentions with Repositories

In chat, type @ followed by the repo name:

You: @botserver add error handling to the login function

Bot: I'll modify botserver. Looking at the login function...
     [Task created: Add error handling to login]

The system will:

1. Clone or pull the latest code
2. Analyze the relevant files
3. Make the requested changes
4. Create a commit or pull request

Repository Actions

Action	Description
Browse	View files and folders
Mention	Insert @repo into chat
Disconnect	Remove from Sources
Settings	Configure branch, credentials

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Apps

Apps are HTMX applications created with CREATE SITE. They appear here automatically.

App Card

Each app shows:

Field	Description
Name	App name with @mention tag
Type	HTMX, Dashboard, Site
Description	Generated from creation prompt
URL	Live endpoint (e.g., /crm)
Created	When the app was generated

Using @mentions with Apps

Reference apps to modify them:

You: @crm change the submit button to green

Bot: I'll update the CRM app. Modifying the button styles...
     [Task created: Change submit button color]

You: @dashboard add a new KPI card for monthly revenue

Bot: I'll add that to your dashboard. Creating the KPI card...
     [Task created: Add monthly revenue KPI]

App Actions

Action	Description
Open	View app in new tab
Edit	Open Tasks with app context
Mention	Insert @app into chat
Delete	Remove app and files

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@Mention Autocomplete

When typing in chat, @ triggers autocomplete:

1. Type @ to see suggestions
2. Continue typing to filter (e.g., @bot shows @botserver, @botui)
3. Press Enter or Tab to select
4. Press Escape to cancel

Mention Types

Type	Icon	Example
Repository	Git icon	@botserver
App	Grid icon	@mycrm

Context for Tasks

When you mention a source, it becomes context for the task:

You: @botserver @botui make the API response format consistent

Bot: I'll update both repositories to use consistent response formats.
     [Task created with context: botserver, botui]

Without explicit mentions, Tasks uses recent context or asks for clarification.

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Prompts

System prompts define bot personality and behavior.

Prompt Categories

Category	Purpose
Assistants	Role-specific personas
Tools	Tool descriptions for LLM
Personas	Bot personality definitions
Custom	Your own prompts

Creating a Prompt

1. Click + New Prompt
2. Enter name and category
3. Write prompt content
4. Use {{variables}} for dynamic values
5. Click Save

Prompt Actions

Action	Description
Use	Apply to current session
Copy	Copy to clipboard
Save	Add to collection
Edit	Modify content

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Templates

Bot packages ready to deploy.

Available Templates

Template	Description
CRM	Customer relationship management
Support	Helpdesk and ticketing
Analytics	Dashboards and reports
Compliance	LGPD, GDPR, HIPAA

Installing a Template

1. Click on template card
2. Review contents
3. Click Install
4. Configure settings
5. Bot is ready

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MCP Servers

Model Context Protocol servers extend bot capabilities. MCP servers are configured via mcp.csv in the bot's .gbai folder, making their tools available to Tasks just like BASIC keywords.

The mcp.csv File

MCP servers are configured by adding entries to mcp.csv in your bot's .gbai folder:

mybot.gbai/
├── mybot.gbdialog/     # BASIC scripts
├── mybot.gbdrive/      # Files and documents
├── config.csv          # Bot configuration
├── attendant.csv       # Attendant configuration
└── mcp.csv             # MCP server definitions

When botserver starts, it reads the mcp.csv file and loads all server configurations.

Server Card

Field	Description
Name	Server identifier (used for USE MCP calls)
Type	filesystem, github, database, slack, etc.
Status	Active, Inactive, Error
Tools	Available tools count
Source	"directory" (from .gbmcp)

mcp.csv Format

The CSV file has the following columns:

Column	Required	Description
name	Yes	Unique server identifier
type	Yes	Connection type: stdio, http, websocket, tcp
command	Yes	For stdio: command. For http/ws: URL
args	No	Command arguments (space-separated)
description	No	Human-readable description
enabled	No	true or false (default: true)
auth_type	No	none, api_key, bearer
auth_env	No	Environment variable for auth

Example mcp.csv

name,type,command,args,description,enabled
# MCP Server Configuration - lines starting with # are comments
filesystem,stdio,npx,"-y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /data",Access local files,true
github,stdio,npx,"-y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github",GitHub API,true,bearer,GITHUB_TOKEN
postgres,stdio,npx,"-y @modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres",Database queries,false
slack,stdio,npx,"-y @modelcontextprotocol/server-slack",Slack messaging,true,bearer,SLACK_BOT_TOKEN
myapi,http,https://api.example.com/mcp,,Custom API,true,api_key,MY_API_KEY

Adding an MCP Server

Method 1: Via UI

1. Click + Add Server
2. Enter server details
3. Configure connection type (stdio, http, websocket)
4. Test connection
5. Click Save

Method 2: Via mcp.csv

1. Open mcp.csv in your .gbai folder
2. Add a new line with server configuration
3. Restart bot or click 🔄 Reload in Sources UI
4. Server appears automatically

Using MCP Tools in BASIC

' Read a file using filesystem MCP server
content = USE MCP "filesystem", "read_file", {"path": "/data/config.json"}

' Query database
results = USE MCP "postgres", "query", {"sql": "SELECT * FROM users"}

' Send Slack message
USE MCP "slack", "send_message", {"channel": "#general", "text": "Hello!"}

Connection Types

Type	Description
stdio	Local process (npx, node, python)
http	REST API endpoint
websocket	WebSocket connection
tcp	Raw TCP socket

Popular MCP Servers

Server	Package	Description
Filesystem	@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem	File operations
GitHub	@modelcontextprotocol/server-github	GitHub API
PostgreSQL	@modelcontextprotocol/server-postgres	Database queries
Slack	@modelcontextprotocol/server-slack	Messaging

See USE MCP for complete documentation.

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LLM Tools

Tools that the LLM can invoke during conversations.

Tool Sources

Source	Description
Built-in	Core BASIC keywords
MCP	From connected MCP servers
Custom	Your .bas files with DESCRIPTION

Tool Card

Field	Description
Name	Tool identifier
Description	What it does
Parameters	Required inputs
Source	Where it comes from

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Models

Configured AI models for the platform.

Model Card

Field	Description
Name	Model identifier
Provider	OpenAI, Anthropic, Local, etc.
Status	Active, coming soon
Tags	Capabilities (chat, code, vision)

Supported Providers

Provider	Models
OpenAI	GPT-4, GPT-4o
Anthropic	Claude Sonnet 4.5, Claude Opus 4
Local	llama.cpp GGUF models
Azure	Azure OpenAI deployments

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Search

Use the search box to find across all source types:

• Type to search by name
• Results update as you type
• Press Enter to search
• Press Escape to clear

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+K	Focus search
1-6	Switch tabs
Escape	Close modal
Enter	Open selected

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BASIC Integration

List Repositories

repos = GET REPOSITORIES
FOR EACH repo IN repos
    TALK repo.name + " - " + repo.description
NEXT

List Apps

apps = GET APPS
FOR EACH app IN apps
    TALK app.name + " at /" + app.url
NEXT

Get Task Context

' Get sources mentioned in current conversation
context = GET TASK CONTEXT
FOR EACH source IN context
    TALK "Working with: @" + source.name
NEXT

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See Also

• Tasks - Execute work on repositories and apps
• Chat - Use @mentions in conversation
• Autonomous Task AI - How context flows to tasks