Getting started with Slack Apps

Slack apps allow you to extend and customize your Slack workspaces with fun and useful interactions.

Prerequisites/Preparing for the Workshop

• Please join the workshop Slack workspace
• Optional: Sign up for a Glitch account. We’ll be using Glitch as a collaborative coding environment to learn how to program Slack apps. You’ll still be able to follow along with the workshop without one, but having a glitch account will ensure that your work is saved.
• Request to join the Glitch project for the example Slack app. There should be a button in the top left corner reading Request to Join Project.
• Remix (make a copy of) this Glitch project.
  • Click the "intro-slack-apps" menu in the top left corner, then Remix Project. You'll use a copy of the glitch project play around with Slack app functionality. Note: Your remix won't work quite yet. During the workshop I'll share some Oauth keys that will grant you permission to interact with the Slack app.

Agenda

• Introduction to Slack apps
• Quick overview of how to set up a fast Slack dev environment
• Walkthrough of "Cat, Please" with example activities

In this workshop, you'll learn how to:

• Get a Slack dev environment up and running quickly with Glitch
• Use Bolt for JavaScript to listen for and respond to Slack messages
• Use Bolt for JavaScript to listen for and respond to button clicks
• Use Slack's Block Kit Builder to create snazzy UI elements

Overview of Quick Set up Steps

• Create a dev Slack workspace
• Create an app
• Give your app permission scopes
• Install it to a dev environment

Next Steps: Going Further with this example project

• Create your own pre-configured Slack app available from the "Post Message on a Schedule" tutorial. This pre-configured app should come with most of the scope permissions you need to try the activities in activities.md.
• Remix this example by choosing "Remix example" from the top left menu. Find Your App's api keys and plug them into your remix project's .env file
• Modify the code, try the activities in activities.md, or do your own thing!

Resources

• Create a New Workspace for Slack App Development and Testing
• Learn how to quickly set up your own Slack dev environment with Tutorial: Hello World Slack App Using Bolt
• Getting Started with Bolt for JavaScript
• Slack Block Kit Builder
• Slack app permissions scopes

Bolt app template

Bolt is a development framework that lets you build JavaScript-based Slack apps in a flash.

This Project

• app.js contains the primary Bolt app. It imports the Bolt package (@slack/bolt) and starts the Bolt app's server. It's where you'll add your app's listeners.
• .env is where you'll put your Slack app's authorization token and signing secret.
• The examples/ folder contains a couple of other sample apps that you can peruse to your liking. They show off a few platform features that your app may want to use.

Read the Getting Started guide

Read the Bolt documentation

View the source code on Github

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