Work with DSPy Data: Examples, Predictions, and Datasets

Guide the user through creating, loading, and managing data for DSPy programs. Data is the fuel for DSPy optimizers — getting it right is the difference between a program that works and one that doesn't.

What are Examples

dspy.Example is DSPy's data container. Think of it as a dictionary with one extra feature: you can mark which fields are inputs and which are outputs. This distinction is critical because optimizers need to know what to feed into your program (inputs) and what to compare against (outputs).

import dspy

# An Example holds named fields — like a dict
example = dspy.Example(question="What is DSPy?", answer="A framework for programming LMs")

# Access fields with dot notation or bracket notation
print(example.question)       # "What is DSPy?"
print(example["answer"])      # "A framework for programming LMs"