nusc-queue-bot

Implements a Telegram bot for small to medium-scale events that involve queueing, such as for photobooths. Meant for NUSC events, but can be used in any other queue setting.

Inspired by deprecated queue bot counterparts written in Python here: https://github.com/kwokyto/usp-queue-bot

This repository uses Go so that scalability with concurrency will not become an issue.

progress so far

15/3/24: Local server hosting now functional. 29/3/24: Now provides a menu of available options for use

how to set up

⚠️ A cautionary note

• Local server setup in this repo will require your API keys and passwords to be placed within a .env file. Unless you modify this code to use secret manager applications instead (or other means), you should not locally host this bot if your computer is shared!.
• This is obviously a hobby project with ssl-mode off and no passwords required - security is not considered since my database storage is low-value.

Clone this repo

Register Your Bot on Telegram

Accurate as of Apr 2024 https://core.telegram.org/bots/tutorial

• Find @BotFather through Telegram global search

• Set up a bot with a desired name

• Obtain your top-secret API key from BotFather to control your bot by

• Test that you have established a link to your bot using this link, replacing "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN" with the API key https://api.telegram.org/bot<YOUR_BOT_TOKEN>/getMe

• If you are un-successful, you will receive a 404 response. Check that you have entered the correct bot API token provided by BotFather, which should be in the form "XXXXX:YYYY", where X are numbers only and Y are alphanumeric.

  

• If you are successful, you will receive an OK response with some basic information about your bot in JSON.

  

• ⚠️ Important: Duplicate the .envSETUP key in this folder. Rename this file to ".env", and place in your API token after "BOT_TOKEN". This ".env" file is ignored (by Git) and not committed to GitHub to keep your API secret. (Don't pass this key around, or else people can control your bot!)

Local deployment - Install Go (what version) and Postgres (what version)

Install the Go parser at https://go.dev/doc/install Install a relatively up-to-date PostgreSQL runner at https://www.postgresql.org/download/windows/. For Mac users, I use https://postgresapp.com/, which may be considered. Within your coding environment (e.g. VSCode), run go run cmd/server/main.go. If any errors result, do check that you have updated your .env file appropriately (instructions above), that you have Postgres running, and that your bot token is valid.

Remote deployment - Heroku

running the server (local)

Cook your computer and keep it running

running the server (remote)

Heroku or AWS or other services? not sure yet.