**Build conversational AI bots in minutes, not months.** General Bots lets you create intelligent chatbots by writing simple [BASIC scripts](./chapter-06-gbdialog/basics.md) and dropping in your [documents](./chapter-02/gbkb.md). No complex frameworks, no cloud dependencies, no AI expertise required.
## The No Forms Movement
<imgsrc="./assets/general-bots-2017.svg"alt="General Bots in 2017"style="max-height: 300px; width: 100%; object-fit: contain;">
Since 2017, Pragmatismo has championed the **No Forms** philosophy. The idea is simple but revolutionary:
> **People should converse, not fill forms.**
Traditional software forces users into rigid forms with dropdowns, checkboxes, and validation errors. But humans don't communicate that way. We talk. We explain. We ask questions.
General Bots was born from this vision: **replace forms with conversations**.
### Before: The Form Experience
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Customer Support Form │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Name: [_______________] │
│ Email: [_______________] │
│ Department: [Select ▼] │
│ Priority: ○ Low ○ Medium ○ High │
│ Subject: [_______________] │
│ Description: │
│ [ ] │
│ [ ] │
│ │
│ Attachments: [Choose File] │
│ │
│ [Submit] │
│ │
│ ⚠️ Error: Email format invalid │
│ ⚠️ Error: Description required │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
**Problems:**
- Intimidating for users
- Requires learning the interface
- Validation errors frustrate
- No guidance or context
- One-size-fits-all approach
### After: The Conversation Experience
```
User: I need help with my order
Bot: I'd be happy to help! What's your order number?
User: It's 12345
Bot: Found it - your laptop order from last week. What's the issue?
User: It arrived damaged
Bot: I'm sorry to hear that. I'll create a return label for you.
Should I send it to your email on file?
User: Yes please
Bot: Done! Check your inbox. Is there anything else?
```
**Benefits:**
- Natural and intuitive
- Guides users step by step
- Adapts to each situation
- No errors, just clarifications
- Feels like talking to a human
### Projections, Not Screens
The No Forms philosophy extends beyond chat. In General Bots:
- **Visualizations replace dashboards** - Data is projected contextually, not displayed in static grids
- **Conversations replace menus** - Ask for what you need, don't hunt through options
- **AI handles complexity** - The system adapts, users don't configure
- **Voice-first design** - Everything works without a screen
That's it. No Kubernetes, no cloud accounts. The [bootstrap process](./chapter-01/installation.md) installs everything locally in 2-5 minutes. PostgreSQL, vector database, object storage, cache - all configured automatically with secure credentials stored in Vault.
Four lines. That's a working tool the AI can call automatically.
### Documents = Knowledge
Drop PDFs, Word docs, or text files into `.gbkb/` folders. They're instantly searchable. No preprocessing, no configuration, no pipelines. The bot answers questions from your documents automatically.
### Tools = Functions
Create `.bas` files that the AI discovers and calls automatically. Need to save data? Send emails? Call APIs? Just write a tool. The AI figures out when and how to use it.
**2017** - Pragmatismo launches General Bots with the No Forms manifesto. The vision: conversational interfaces should replace traditional forms in enterprise software.
**2018-2020** - Node.js implementation gains traction. Hundreds of bots deployed across banking, healthcare, education, and government sectors in Brazil and beyond.
**2021-2023** - Major enterprises adopt General Bots for customer service automation. The platform handles millions of conversations.
**2024** - Complete rewrite in Rust for performance, security, and reliability. Version 6.0 introduces the new architecture with integrated services.
**Today** - General Bots powers conversational AI for organizations worldwide, staying true to the original vision: **people should converse, not fill forms**.
