[BUG] `chat.messages.map(&:to_h)` doesn't convert ToolCall values

[KieranP]

Basic checks

• I searched existing issues - this hasn't been reported
• I can reproduce this consistently
• This is a RubyLLM bug, not my application code

What's broken?

RubyLLM::Message#to_h is shallow, not converting nested

How to reproduce

chat.ask(query)
chat.messages.map(&:to_h)

Expected behavior

When calling to_h on messages, the child records (like ToolCall) should also be converted to hashes

What actually happened

The message is a hash, but tool calls are still class records

Environment

Ruby 3.4.1
RubyLLM: 1.12.0
Provider: Bedrock

[KieranP]

I would also add here (rather than a new ticket) that Message#new converts content from text to RubyLLM::Content, but passing a hash for tool_calls doesn't convert to RubyLLM::ToolCall's. So perhaps this ticket would be better as a general "Improve serialization" type of ticket? I'd be happy to submit a PR if these changes would be considered?

[sevginuroksuz]

Thanks for pointing that out , I agree this might be broader than just #to_h.

It seems there are two related concerns:

1. Message#to_h performs shallow serialization.
2. Message#initialize does not convert tool_calls hashes into RubyLLM::ToolCall instances (unlike how content is handled).

Would you prefer:

• A minimal fix for #to_h only (deep conversion), or
• A more comprehensive serialization improvement covering both initialization and output consistency?

Happy to submit a PR aligned with the preferred direction.

[sevginuroksuz]

Thanks for reporting this!

This has now been addressed in the linked PR.

• Message#to_h now deep-serializes tool_calls using ToolCall#to_h.
• The initializer accepts both ToolCall objects and hashes (with symbol or string keys: id, name, arguments, thought_signature) and normalizes hash inputs automatically.

Test coverage has been added to ensure consistent behavior.

Please let me know if you notice any additional edge cases or if you'd prefer a different approach to serialization.