This document provides an overview of chatbots, including what they are, examples of chatbots, popular platforms for building chatbots, libraries used in chatbot development, and the process for creating chatbots. It discusses registering a bot, initializing APIs, handling messages, and defining replies. Code samples are provided for creating bots using Telegram, PokeAPI, Wit.ai and Slack. Potential issues like Wit.ai limitations and saving conversation history are also mentioned.

1. Bots: Basics

2. WHOAMI
Front End Lead @ Rails Reactor
github.com/viattik
twitter.com/vi_attik

4. What is Chatbot?

5. Motivation
• Alternative UX
• ~90% of our time on mobile is spent on email
and messaging platforms
• Cheap and fast to develop
https://chatbotsmagazine.com/the-complete-beginner-s-guide-to-chatbots-8280b7b906ca

6. Examples

9. https://t.me/chatwarsbot

14. Platforms
• Telegram
• Slack
• Messenger
• Viber
• …

15. + =
https://github.com/viattik/pokedex-bot

16. Libraries used
• Telegram:
• https://core.telegram.org/bots
• https://github.com/yagop/node-telegram-bot-
api
• PokeAPI:
• https://pokeapi.co
• https://github.com/PokeAPI/pokedex-promise-
v2

17. Creating bot
• Register bot via BotFather
• Initialise Telegram and PokeAPI
• Handle message
• Define replies

19. Creating bot
• Register bot via BotFather
• Initialise Telegram and PokeAPI
• Handle message
• Define replies

20. const TelegramBot = require(‘node-telegram-bot-api');
const telegram = new TelegramBot(
“YOUR_BOT_TOKEN",
{ polling: true }
);
const PokedexPromise = require('pokedex-promise-v2');
const pokedex = new PokedexPromise();

21. Creating bot
• Register bot via BotFather
• Initialise Telegram and PokeAPI
• Handle message
• Define replies

22. function onMessage(message) {
const text = message.text;
getReply(message.chat.id, text).then((reply) => {
if (!reply) { reply = getDefaultReply(); }
telegram.sendMessage(message.chat.id, reply.text, reply.form);
// or telegram.sendPhoto, telegram.sendAudio etc.
});
}
telegram.on('text', onMessage);

23. Creating bot
• Register bot via BotFather
• Initialise Telegram and PokeAPI
• Handle message
• Define replies

24. module.exports.intents = {
'/pokemons': (pageNumber = 0) => {
return pokedex.getPokemonsList(getInterval(pageNumber))
.then(({ results }) => {
return {
reply: TEXTS.POKEMON_LIST(pageNumber, results),
form: {
reply_markup: {
keyboard: [
pageNumber === 0
? [ BUTTONS.MAIN_MENU, BUTTONS.NEXT_PAGE ]
: [ BUTTONS.MAIN_MENU, BUTTONS.PREV_PAGE, BUTTONS.NEXT_PAGE ],
],
resize_keyboard: true,
one_time_keyboard: true,
},
}
};
});
},
'/pokemon': (name) => {
return pokedex.getPokemonByName(name)
.then((response) => {
return [
{ replyMethod: 'sendPhoto', reply: response.sprites.front_default },
{ reply: TEXTS.POKEMON(response) }
];
});
},
...
};

25. https://t.me/JSTonightPokedexBot

26. + +
=
https://github.com/viattik/pokedex-bot

27. https://your_domain.slack.com/apps/manage/custom-
integrations

28. Libraries used
• Slack:
• https://api.slack.com/bot-users
• https://scotch.io/tutorials/building-a-slack-bot-with-node-js-and-
chuck-norris-super-powers
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/slackbots
• Wit:
• https://wit.ai
• https://github.com/wit-ai/node-wit
• PokeAPI:
• https://pokeapi.co
• https://github.com/PokeAPI/pokedex-promise-v2

29. wit.ai
• Natural Language Interface
• Is a part of Facebook
• Easy to start
• Alternative - api.ai

33. Replies

34. type + type_name + know_about
=
Information about type

35. contact (pokemon) + know_about
=
Information about
pokemon

36. contact + weight + know_about
=
Pokemon weight

37. greetings
=
hi
(and information about
bot if the first call)

38. thanks
=
you’re welcome

39. bye
=
bye

40. answer (yes or no)
=
…

41. answer (yes or no)
=
depends on previous
message

42. const slackSettings = {
token: ‘BOT_TOKEN',
name: 'pokedex'
};
const witAccessToken = ‘WIT_TOKEN';
const slack = new Bot(slackSettings);
const wit = new Wit({ accessToken: witAccessToken });
const pokedex = new Pokedex();

43. slack.on('message', (message) => {
if (isChatMessage(message) && !isMessageFromPokedex(message)
&& (
!isChannelConversation(message)
|| isChannelConversation(message) && isMentioningPokedex(message)
)
) {
const text = removeMentions(message.text);
wit.message(text).then((data) => {
const processed = processIntent(message, data);
if (!processed) {
postReply(message, TEXTS.DIDNT_UNDERSTAND);
}
pushConversation(message, data);
})
}
});

44. function processIntent(message, data) {
const intents = data.entities;
logIntents(message, data);
if (intents.greetings) {
const user = getUser(message);
const greetingMessages = getMessagesWithIntents(message,
'greetings');
const text = !greetingMessages.length
? TEXTS.FIRST_GREETING(user)
: TEXTS.RANDOM_GREETING(user);
postReply(message, text);
return true;
}
...
}

45. function processIntent(message, data) {
...
if (intents.know_about && intents.pokemons) {
postReply(message, TEXTS.POKEMONS_INFO);
return true;
}
if (intents.type && intents.type_name && (intents.know_about
|| intents.question)) {
const typeName = intents.type_name[0].value.toLowerCase();
pokedex.getTypeByName(typeName)
.then((response) => {
postReply(message, TEXTS.TYPE(response));
}).catch((error) => {
if (error.statusCode === 404) {
postReply(message, TEXTS.TYPE_NOT_FOUND);
}
});
return true;
}
...
}

46. function processIntent(message, data) {
...
if (intents.answer) {
const lastMessage = getLastMessage(message);
if (lastMessage && lastMessage.wit.entities.thanks) {
const answer = intents.answer[0].value;
const text = answer.toLowerCase() === 'yes' ?
TEXTS.OK_HIT_ME : TEXTS.ALRIGHT;
postReply(message, text);
return true;
}
}
}

52. Issues
• Wit.ai works, but needs some learning
• Wit.ai works, but pay attention to ‘BETA’ marks
• Save history - needed for yes-no answers

53. Where to start?

54. https://chatbotsmagazine.com/

55. … and more
• Tools
• https://botmock.com
• https://chatfuel.com
• http://botanalytics.co
• Bots:
• https://www.messenger.com/t/mereminder
• https://www.chatbots.org
• https://tiv.ai/me

56. https://frameworksdays.com/event/frontend-fwdays-17

57. Contest
+ =
https://t.me/JSTContestBot