amio-chatbot-builder-js

Amio Chatbot Builder is a simple bot framework that simulates a state machine chatbot. You can easily add NLP and analytics features though. We, are using it on our own chatbot projects. Just like Amio, the framework aims to be platform agnostic. Check out all the supported platforms.

Let us know how to improve this library. We'll be more than happy if you report any issues or even create pull requests. ;-)

• Installation
• Usage
  • Prerequisities
  • Basic setup
    • 1. Create state
    • 2. Setup chatbot
    • 3. React to webhooks
• Chatbot
• State
  • State transitions - static vs. dynamic
• Cache
• Interceptor
• Logging
• How to get contactId/channelId

Installation

npm install amio-chatbot-builder --save

You will want to send and receive messages. For this purpose install amio-sdk-js.

npm install amio-sdk-js --save

Usage

Prerequisities

1. Setup NodeJs - we prefer to use it with Express (use generator)
2. Setup Amio webhooks

Basic setup

You can copy/paste this setup.

1. Create state

// file echo.state.js
const State = require('amio-chatbot-builder').State
const AmioApi = require('amio-sdk-js').AmioApi

const amioApi = new AmioApi({
    accessToken: 'get access token from https://app.amio.io/administration/settings/api'
})

class EchoState extends State {
  
  constructor(){
    super()
    this.addNextState(this, webhook => true)
  }
  
  async execute(channelId, contactId, webhook) {
    const {data} = webhook
    const payload = data.content ? data.content.payload : data.postback.payload
    await this._sendMessage(channelId, contactId, payload)
  }
  
  async _sendMessage(channelId, contactId, text){
    await amioApi.messages.send({
      contact: {id: contactId},
      channel: {id: channelId},
      content: {
        type: 'structure',
        payload: {
          text,
          buttons: [{
            type: 'postback',
            title: 'Click me',
            payload: 'POSTBACK_CLICKED' 
          }]
        }
      }
    })
  }
}

module.exports = EchoState

2. Setup chatbot

// file my-chatbot.js
const Chatbot = require('amio-chatbot-builder').Chatbot
const EchoState = require('./path/to/echo.state.js')

class MyChatbot extends Chatbot {
  constructor(){
    super()
    const echoState = new EchoState()
    this.addPostback('POSTBACK_CLICKED', echoState)
    this.setInitialState(echoState)
  }
}

module.exports = new MyChatbot() // make it singleton (not obligatory ;)

3. React to webhooks

After setting up Amio webhooks you can pass the webhook events to your chatbot.

// file router.js
const express = require('express')
const router = express.Router()
const chatbot = require('./path/to/my-chatbot.js')
const WebhookRouter = require('amio-sdk-js').WebhookRouter

const amioWebhookRouter = new WebhookRouter({
    secrets: {
      // CHANNEL_ID: SECRET
      // get CHANNEL_ID at https://app.amio.io/administration/channels/
      // get SECRET at https://app.amio.io/administration/channels/{{CHANNEL_ID}}/webhook
      '15160185464897428':'thzWPzSPhNjfdKdfsLBEHFeLWW',
      '48660483859995133':'fdsafJzSPhNjfdKdfsLBEjdfks'
    }
})

amioWebhookRouter.onMessageReceived(async webhook => await chatbot.runNextState(webhook))
amioWebhookRouter.onPostbackReceived(async webhook => await chatbot.runPostback(webhook))
// you can react to other webhook events too

router.post('/webhooks/amio', (req, res) => amioWebhookRouter.handleEvent(req, res))

module.exports = router

Chatbot

Chatbot represents a state machine. The most important methods you'll be using are chatbot.runNextState() and chatbot.runPostback().

You can set it up using either inheritance or composition:

//Inheritance
class MyChatbot extends Chatbot {
  constructor(){
    super()
    this.addPostback()
    // ...
  }
}

// Composition
const chatbot = new Chatbot()
chatbot.addPostback()
// ...

Method	Params	Description
addInterceptor	interceptor	Registers a new interceptor at the end of the interceptor chain.
addPostback	key state	Registers a state that will be invoked after postback with a specific key is received
runNextState	webhook	How it works:  1. Iterate all interceptors` before().  2. Keep executing states while state.execute() returns a state.  3. Iterate all interceptors` after(). Warning - If an interceptor returns false, go directly to step 3.
runPostback	webhook	Picks a correct state that was registered using chatbot.addPostback(). Then it executes chatbot.runNextState()
setErrorPostbackState	state	State that is executed if no postback is matching the key registered in chatbot.addPostback(key, state).
setInitialState	state	If no postback starts the chatbot, the initial state will be executed as the very first state.
setInterceptors	array(interceptor) interceptors	Sets the whole interceptor chain. The first interceptor is to be run first.
setPostbackKeyExtractor	function	Normalizes postback key so that it can be used to find a correct. It's useful if you're passing some data in postback like 'POSTBACK:ARBITRARY_DATA'. In this case, you would register a state as chatbot.addpostback('POSTBACK', state) It accepts webhook.data.postback.payload as the function argument.

State

State holds all the steps a chatbot shall do upon receiving a webhook. It's a reusable piece of logic. Generally, one state will consist of several 'message sends'.

Method	Params	Description
addNextState	nextState condition	Adds a static transition to a next state. If condition(webhook) return true. The state will be selected for execution.
execute	channelId contactId webhook	Executes state`s logic. If you return a new state it will run immediately - it is so called dynamic transition.

State transitions - static vs. dynamic

Static transitions between states are known from the app startup (or from the compilation). They are defined as chatbot.addPostback(key, state) or as state.addNextState(state, condition).

function condition(webhook){
  if(now() % 2 === 0) return true // use this state after next webhook event is received
  
  return false
}

Dynamic transitions between states are decided either in state.execute() or anywhere you call chatbotCache.setNextState(). You can run a state immediately without having to wait for another webhook if you return it from state.execute().

class MyState extends State {
  
  execute(channelId, contactId, {data}){
    if(data.content) { 
      console.log('I will execute YourState right now!')
      return new YourState() 
    } 
    
    console.log('just log') 
  }
}

Cache

Chatbot uses a cache that is referenced in code like chatbotCache. It keeps temporary data about a contact. The contact is always identified by contactId. You can use it to store and retrieve your data using chatbot.set() and chatbot.get().

By default, the cache stores:

• last 100 clients (LRU)
• next state - chatbot.setNextState()
• last 20 states chatbot.getPastStates()

Method	Params	Description
get	contactId key defaultValue = null	Returns a value for a key of contact with contactId.
getLastState	contactId	Returns last visited state.
getNextState	contactId	Returns the next state that will be executed by chatbot.
getPastStates	contactId	Returns last 20 states executed for contact contactId.
reset		Clears the cache.
set	contactId key value	Add value to a key of contact with contactId.

Interceptor

Interceptors are used to influence received webhook events either before or after a state is executed. An interceptor is a class that extends require('amio-chatbot-builder').Interceptor. Register interceptors using chatbot.setInterceptors([interceptor1, ...])

How the interceptors work:

1. Your server receives a webhook event.
2. You pass the event over to chatbot via chatbot.runNextState(webhook)
3. Chatbot first iterate all interceptors` before(). The first interceptor that returns false breaks the interceptor chain and state execution is skipped. Go directly to step 5.
4. Chatbot keeps executing states while state.execute() returns a new state.
5. Chatbot iterates all interceptors` after().

SEE EXAMPLE .

Method	Params	Description
before	channelId contactId webhook	before() is executed before the state itself. Return false if you wish to prevent the state execution. No other interceptors will be run either. You can also change state using chatbotCache.setNextState(newState).
after	channelId contactId webhook	after() is executed after the state execution. It good for a clean up. All registered interceptors are always executed.

Logging

If you want to enable logs, add namespace amio-chatbot-builder-js:* to your DEBUG environment variable.

process.env.DEBUG = 'your-project-namespace:*,amio-chatbot-builder-js:*'

For more details check debug lib and the logz.io wrapper.

How to get contactId/channelId

contactId/channelId can be obtained from every webhook. We are trying to resolve them for you and pass to all methods where they may be needed frequently like state.execute(channelId, contactId, webhook).

const contactId = webhook.data.contact.id
const channelId = webhook.data.channel.id