Augmenting Web Services with SMS and XMPP

Adding Channels such as SMS and XMPP to traditional HTTP services

About Me

Sam Keen [email_address] , @samkeen

Originally a Java (J2EE) developer Escaped that for PHP ~2003

Founded and have been running PDXPHP for about 4 years

currently employed at finedesigngroup.com/

Talk Summary

Advantages of adding these channels

Overview of SMS and XMPP

Explain Extapi (my take on implementing these channels)

Example Service: Trimet TransitTracker ®

Teaching humans to speak Machine: HAMDL

Future

Motivation Laziness

Why (users)

The mobile generation is growing accustomed to passive aggressive connectivity

Mobile users are loosely engaged with services

For many services, users want information and do not want ‘experience’ to get in the way

Why (devices)

More and more, Web sites services are accessed through mobile devices

Device capability

A subset of devices have data access ability

Of those devices, a small percentage provide an acceptable degree of usability

Why SMS

Low Attention Requirement

All modern phone support it

Even this phone has SMS ability

SMS Downside

Some might say: “SMS is controlled by Evil Empires”

$$$ to implement on your own

Very limited capability

SMS

Why XMPP

Open Standard

Its all about the X (extendable)

Presence, multi-user chat, SOAP over XMPP, Jingle (voice, video, file) , oauth over XMPP, ...

http://xmpp.org/extensions/

Ease of implementation

Why XMPP It makes SMS look like:

Extapi

Centralized Service and Channel Adaption Manager

Currently Implemented as a PHP LAMP stack

Enables you to extend the number of channels available to a web service

Goal is to enable new services and channels by way of configuration (little or no code)

What Extapi Needs to do

Map given request params to a common set of values for a given channel

parse/authenticate request

make the request to the target web service

parse the response from the web service

sent the response back through the channel to the client

Architecture Goal Web Service X HTTP Users

Architecture Goal Web Service X XMPP SMS Channel N HTTP Users

Architecture Channels SMS XMPP Services Trimet Twitter Service X Channel X Extapi App Server Clients HTTP

Architecture Channels SMS XMPP Services Trimet Twitter Service X Channel X Clients HTTP

Extapi Structure MVC Container Aabot App Static Vendor Extapi Built in the style of a Vendor plugin. Currently within the Aabot MVC container. Can also be adapted for containers such as CakePHP Channels Services

Channels

Purpose is to take and existing protocol (XMPP, SMS), and convert to HTTP. Then forward the message to the Extapi server

So after querying a http web service Extapi can then send replies back through the channel via HTTP, or short circuit directly to the originator if it can speak the originating protocol.

Implementing an SMS Channel

Shortcode Shares: Multiple users share a single shortcode managed by a Shortcode share company

Shortcode Shares are the cheapest, bi-directional, most reliable way to get started.

SMS Shortcode SharesFREE! There are concessions to be made for all the “Freeness”

SMS SS will typically append ~20 char teaser ads to client bound messages

SMS SS will typically append ~20 char teaser ads to client bound messages

Your app context lives under a keyword on the provider’s shortcode ex: you text “ myapp my message ” to shortcode 123456 rather than just texting “ my message ” to shortcode 123456

SMS Shortcode Shares

They blackbox the entire telco infrastructure

Provide a familiar HTTP API interface to the developer

They manage user registration and opt out

There are also benefits

Shortcode Share Architecture Extapi (or any web app) mobile carrier Users Short Code Share HTTP HTTP

Shortcode Shares

Textmarks: Mature, feature rich

Zeep: New kid on the block

Dotgo: Different Beast

A Few Options

Dotgo <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><cmrl xmlns:dotgo=" http://dotgo.com/cmrl/1.0 "> <match pattern="*"> <engine href=" http://example.com/servic e.php "/> OR <message> <content>Hello world!</content> </message> </match></cmrl>

Channel: XMPP

Many Server Choices: http://xmpp.org/software/servers.shtml

I chose the Hometown crew: Openfire

very easy to setup

easy to extend (if you know a little Java)

Well documented and supported

Lots of example Plugin code

Example XMPP Channel Architecture Users Extapi XMPP Server (Openfire) X2Http Plugin HTTP XMPP

X2Http Openfire plugin

Example: TransitTracker ® Currently offers web access, WAP, and IVR These all require the user to be highly engaged with the service

SMS & XMPP added to TransitTracker ®

Less attention required, input stop id and then your device has all sorts of ways to alert you with the reply

SMS has wide reach, XMPP has decent reach + extended capability

Trimet over SMS

Trimet over XMPP

Yes It Is Alpha code

Review: What Extapi Needs to do

Map given request params to a common set of values for a given channel

Parse/Authenticate request

make the request to the target web service

parse the response from the web service

sent the response back through the channel to the client

Extapi: Base Class for a channel Extapi Channels class Extapi_Channel_Base /** * @return boolean */ public function have_required_request_params() /** * @return boolean */public abstract function authenticate_request();

Extapi: Base Class for a Service Extapi Service class Extapi_Service_Base public abstract function parse_request_statement();public abstract function act_on_request_statement();public abstract function gather_feedback();

private function sms_receiver() {

$this ->use_layout = false ;

$requesting_channel = $this ->next_request_segment_value();

header( 'Content-type: text/plain' , true );

$sms_channel = Util_VendorFactory::get_instance( 'extapi/channel/'

. $requesting_channel );

if ( $sms_channel && $sms_channel ->have_required_request_params()

&& $sms_channel ->authenticate_request()) {

ENV::load_vendor_file( 'Extapi/Service/Tmet' );

$tmet_service = new Extapi_Service_Tmet( $sms_channel );

$tmet_service ->parse_request_statement();

$tmet_service ->act_on_request_statement();

if ( $tmet_service ->has_feedback()) {

$arrivals = $tmet_service ->gather_feedback();

$this ->payload->arrivals = array_get_else( $arrivals , 'arrivals' );

$this ->payload->transit_stop = array_get_else( $arrivals , 'transit_stop' );

$this ->payload->query_time = array_get_else( $arrivals , 'query_time' );

} else {

$this ->viewless();

}

} else {

if (! $sms_channel ) {

ENV:: $log ->error(__METHOD__. ' Util_VendorFactory::get_instance ...

} else {

ENV:: $log ->notice(__METHOD__. ' Required components were not ...

}

$this ->viewless();

}

}

$this->use_layout = false;

header('Content-type: text/plain',true);

$sms_channel = Util_VendorFactory::get_instance( 'extapi/channel/'

if ($sms_channel && $sms_channel->have_required_request_params()

&& $sms_channel->authenticate_request()) {

ENV::load_vendor_file('Extapi/Service/Tmet');

$tmet_service = new Extapi_Service_Tmet($sms_channel);

$tmet_service->parse_request_statement();

$tmet_service->act_on_request_statement();

if ($tmet_service->has_feedback()) {

$arrivals = $tmet_service->gather_feedback();

$this->payload->arrivals = array_get_else($arrivals,'arrivals');

$this->payload->transit_stop = array_get_else($arrivals,'transit_stop');

$this->payload->query_time = array_get_else($arrivals,'query_time');

} else {

$this->viewless();

}

} else {

if (! $sms_channel) {

ENV::$log->error(__METHOD__.' Util_VendorFactory::get_instance ...

} else {

ENV::$log->notice(__METHOD__.' Required components were not ...

}

$this->viewless();

}

}

$requesting_channel = $this->next_request_segment_value();

$sms_channel = Util_VendorFactory::get_instance('extapi/channel/'

.$requesting_channel);

if ( $sms_channel && $sms_channel ->have_required_request_params()

&& $sms_channel ->authenticate_request()) {

$tmet_service = new Extapi_Service_Tmet($sms_channel);

$this->payload->arrivals = array_get_else($arrivals,'arrivals');

$this->payload->transit_stop = array_get_else($arrivals,'transit_stop');

$this->payload->query_time = array_get_else($arrivals,'query_time');

} else {

$this->viewless();

}

} else {

} else {

}

$this->viewless();

}

}

$sms_channel = Util_VendorFactory::get_instance('extapi/channel/'

if ($sms_channel && $sms_channel->have_required_request_params()

&& $sms_channel->authenticate_request()) {

$tmet_service = new Extapi_Service_Tmet( $sms_channel );

$this ->payload->arrivals = array_get_else( $arrivals , 'arrivals' );

$this ->payload->transit_stop = array_get_else( $arrivals , 'transit_stop' );

$this ->payload->query_time = array_get_else( $arrivals , 'query_time' );

} else {

$this ->viewless();

}

} else {

} else {

}

$this->viewless();

}

}

private function xmpp_receiver() {

$this ->use_layout = false ;

$xmpp_channel = Util_VendorFactory::get_instance( 'extapi/channel/'

if ( $xmpp_channel && $xmpp_channel ->have_required_request_params()

&& $xmpp_channel ->authenticate_request()) {

$tmet_service = new Extapi_Service_Tmet( $xmpp_channel );

$this ->payload->arrivals = $arrivals ;

} else {

$this ->viewless();

}

} else {

if (! $xmpp_channel ) {

ENV:: $log ->error(__METHOD__. ' Util_VendorFactory::get_instance failed for

[extapi/channel/' . $requesting_channel . ']' );

} else {

ENV:: $log ->notice(__METHOD__. ' Required components were not found

and/or authentcation failed for this request' );

}

$this ->viewless();

}

}

$xmpp_channel = Util_VendorFactory::get_instance( 'extapi/channel/'

if ($xmpp_channel && $xmpp_channel->have_required_request_params()

&& $xmpp_channel->authenticate_request()) {

$tmet_service = new Extapi_Service_Tmet($xmpp_channel);

$this->payload->arrivals = $arrivals;

} else {

$this->viewless();

}

} else {

if (! $xmpp_channel) {

ENV::$log->error(__METHOD__.' Util_VendorFactory::get_instance failed for

[extapi/channel/'.$requesting_channel.']');

} else {

ENV::$log->notice(__METHOD__.' Required components were not found

and/or authentcation failed for this request');

}

$this->viewless();

}

}

$xmpp_channel = Util_VendorFactory::get_instance('extapi/channel/'

if ( $xmpp_channel && $xmpp_channel ->have_required_request_params()

&& $xmpp_channel ->authenticate_request()) {

$tmet_service = new Extapi_Service_Tmet($xmpp_channel);

$this->payload->arrivals = $arrivals;

} else {

$this->viewless();

}

} else {

} else {

}

$this->viewless();

}

}

$xmpp_channel = Util_VendorFactory::get_instance('extapi/channel/'

if ($xmpp_channel && $xmpp_channel->have_required_request_params()

&& $xmpp_channel->authenticate_request()) {

$tmet_service = new Extapi_Service_Tmet( $xmpp_channel );

$this ->payload->arrivals = $arrivals ;

} else {

$this ->viewless();

}

} else {

} else {

}

$this->viewless();

}

}

Talking to Machines

Examples so far have been very limited, our statement to the Machine is just a number

How do we have ‘dialogue’ with machines?

Invest millions in Natural Language Processing? OR have an intermediary language to bridge the gap between Natural Language (English, French, Spanish, etc) and Programming languages.

Bridge Language