# Message Helpers

> client.messages.stream() returns a MessageStreamManager, which is a context manager that yields a MessageStream which is iterable, emits events and accumulates messages.

- Skill: `tools-only/message-helpers` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tools-only/message-helpers`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tools-only/message-helpers/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tools-only (https://skillmd.com/u/tools-only)
- Updated: 2026-09-29
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tools-only/message-helpers

---

# Message Helpers

## Streaming Responses

```python
async with client.messages.stream(
    max_tokens=1024,
    messages=[
        {
            "role": "user",
            "content": "Say hello there!",
        }
    ],
    model="claude-3-5-sonnet-latest",
) as stream:
    async for text in stream.text_stream:
        print(text, end="", flush=True)
    print()
```

`client.messages.stream()` returns a `MessageStreamManager`, which is a context manager that yields a `MessageStream` which is iterable, emits events and accumulates messages.

Alternatively, you can use `client.messages.create(..., stream=True)` which returns an
iterable of the events in the stream and uses less memory (most notably, it does not accumulate a final message
object for you).

The stream will be cancelled when the context manager exits but you can also close it prematurely by calling `stream.close()`.

See an example of streaming helpers in action in [`examples/messages_stream.py`](examples/messages_stream.py).

> [!NOTE]  
> The synchronous client has the same interface just without `async/await`.

### Lenses

#### `.text_stream`

Provides an iterator over just the text deltas in the stream:

```py
async for text in stream.text_stream:
    print(text, end="", flush=True)
print()
```

### Events

The events listed here are just the event types that the SDK extends, for a full list of the events returned by the API, see [these docs](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/api/messages-streaming#event-types).

```py
from anthropic import AsyncAnthropic

client = AsyncAnthropic()

async with client.messages.stream(
    max_tokens=1024,
    messages=[
        {
            "role": "user",
            "content": "Say hello there!",
        }
    ],
    model="claude-3-5-sonnet-latest",
) as stream:
    async for event in stream:
        if event.type == "text":
            print(event.text, end="", flush=True)
        elif event.type == 'content_block_stop':
            print('\n\ncontent block finished accumulating:', event.content_block)

    print()

# you can still get the accumulated final message outside of
# the context manager, as long as the entire stream was consumed
# inside of the context manager
accumulated = await stream.get_final_message()
print("accumulated message: ", accumulated.to_json())
```

#### `text`

This event is yielded whenever a text `content_block_delta` event is returned by the API & includes the delta and the accumulated snapshot, e.g.

```py
if event.type == "text":
    event.text  # " there"
    event.snapshot  # "Hello, there"
```

#### `input_json`

This event is yielded whenever a JSON `content_block_delta` event is returned by the API & includes the delta and the accumulated snapshot, e.g.

```py
if event.type == "input_json":
    event.partial_json  # ' there"'
    event.snapshot  # '{"message": "Hello, there"'
```

#### `message_stop`

The event is fired when a full Message object has been accumulated.

```py
if event.type == "message_stop":
    event.message  # Message
```

#### `content_block_stop`

The event is fired when a full ContentBlock object has been accumulated.

```py
if event.type == "content_block_stop":
    event.content_block  # ContentBlock
```

### Methods

#### `await .close()`

Aborts the request.

#### `await .until_done()`

Blocks until the stream has been read to completion.

#### `await .get_final_message()`

Blocks until the stream has been read to completion and returns the accumulated `Message` object.

#### `await .get_final_text()`

> [!NOTE]  
> Currently the API will only ever return 1 content block

Blocks until the stream has been read to completion and returns all `text` content blocks concatenated together.