This tutorial shows how to build a coding tutor bot using Botpress that allows users to choose a programming language to learn. The bot fetches a YouTube video for the selected language. The steps include: installing Botpress and modules; creating a project folder; initializing the bot; configuring Facebook Messenger connection; obtaining a YouTube API key; coding the bot functionality in index.js and videos.js files; and testing the bot.

1. City College of City University of New York _
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adv. Topicsin Internet Programming 1
CT-Bot Tutorial Author: Avinash Bengeri
This tutorial will show how to build a coding tutor bot using Botpress. The bot offers various programming
languageswhichthe user can choose to learn. On making a choice the bot fetches a video to learn to code in
that language chosen by user.
Requirements
We need to install botpress and that needs node Javascript version >=4.2 and uses npm package manager.
Let’s start!
Follow the below steps carefully. Do not skip any of the steps unless it is performed in advance.
1. InstallingBotpress
As a primary dependency, we need to have npm already installed. So, we now install botpress using the
below command.
npm install -g botpress
2. Creatingprojectfolder/repository
Once we have installedbotpresswe needtocreate afolderof our project.Use the below commandto
create directory.
mkdir ct-bot && cd ct-bot // Mac and Linux users
md ct-bot && cd ct-bot // Windows users
3. InitializingBotpress
Nowlet’sinitializethe botusingthe below commandlineinterface of botpress.
botpress init
On runningthiscommand,we will be promptedtoenterthe name of ourbot,followed by the description,
author and version details. Refer the below screen shot to fill in the details.

2. City College of City University of New York _
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adv. Topicsin Internet Programming 2
By the end of the successful initialization of botpress we should be able to see the screen as below:
4. InstallingBotpressmodules
We needbotpress-messenger and botpress-rivescript modules to add the interaction feature to our bot.
Use the below command to install these botpress modules.
botpress install messenger rivescript
5. StartingBotpress
Once the modulesare installed,we nowcanstart our bot usingthe below command:
botpress start
We use this command often to restart the bot during development. By running this command a local

3. City College of City University of New York _
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adv. Topicsin Internet Programming 3
instance of our bot shall be running at http://localhost:3000. Check this from any of the web browsers. If
everything is installed fine and the bot is running, then it shall appear as below.
We can alsoinstall modules of botpress here, just by a click of button in the webpage. However, now we
have alreadyinstalled the required modules by command line, so it is not required to do it from here. To
stop the bot, use Ctrl+C and to start it again use the command mentioned above.
6. Configuring Messenger connection settings
Before startingtocode,we needto configure the messengerappsothat our bot issynchronizedwithit.Let
us configure the Facebook Messenger for our bot. Our bot requires App ID, App Secret, and Token Access
of the Facebook messenger app. Follow the below instructions:
6.1. If you do not have a Facebook page, then create a new Facebook page.
6.2. Sign up to developers.facebook.com using your Facebook credentials.
6.3. At the top rightof the page move your mouse over “My Apps” button, and click on “Add a New App”.
6.4. Provide display name and contact email. Select category as “Apps for Messenger” and click “Create
App ID” button.
6.5. Now your messenger app is created. Scroll down to Token Generation where you can select your
Facebook page and get the Page Access Token.
6.6. Click on the Settings button in the menu at the left of the page. Here we get App ID and App Secret.
6.7. We nowhave AppID, AppSecretand TokenAccessas perthe requirementtoourbot. Once we set up
our bot only youcan interactandtestthe botbecause Facebook takes3-4 businessdaystoreviewthe
app before granting “pages_messaging” privilege.
Copythe App ID,App SecretandTokenAccessof messengerappwe justcreated,andpaste it inMessenger
module of ourbot. At http://localhost:3000,clickon Messengertabin the leftandfill inthe details. Do not
worry about Hostname for now. Check the “Use ngrok” checkbox. Click “Save & Connect”.
At this point our bot is up and running. You can verify this by sending a message to your Facebook page
that you created. Open a chat tab on your Facebook page and type BOT_LICENSE. The bot should answer
your user message, as below:

4. City College of City University of New York _
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adv. Topicsin Internet Programming 4
Note:BOT_LICENSE is a Botpresscommandtodisplaybasicinformationaboutyourbot(name,version,
licenses).
7. GettingYoutube APIkey
We need to be able to connect to Youtube through our bot and thus we need the Youtube API key.
ObtainingyourownAPI key is very simple and easy. Go to console.developers.google.com. Create a new
projectand youwill have the API key for it. A simple google query will be able to help you find this. Save
this Youtube API key, as we need this later.
8. Importingnpmpackages
To proceedbuildingourCodingTutorBotwe needfew npmpackagestobe installed.Installthemusing
commandsbelow:
npm install bluebird // https://bluebirdjs.com
npm install lodash // https://lodash.com
npm install axios // https://www.npmjs.com/package/axios
Note that before youstartinstallingthese packages,we needtostopthe botusingCtrl+C inthe node js
commandprompt.
Once we install all packageswe are goodto start coding.
9. Coding
9.1. Index.js
Copycontentsof belowfile andpaste itinthe index.js file of ourbot(ct-botindex.js).
Observe thatwe have importedbluebirdandlodashpackagesatthe start of index.js.
9.2. Videos.js

5. City College of City University of New York _
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adv. Topicsin Internet Programming 5
In the bot folder(ct-bot),create anew file as‘videos.js’.Copycontentfrombelow file andpaste itin
‘videos.js’youjustcreated.
Observe thatwe have importedaxiosandlodashpackagesinthisfile.Recall thatwe hadsaved
YOUTUBE_API_KEY earlier.We make use of ithere.Inthe videos.jsfile,inplace of
‘<YOUR_YOUTUBE_API_KEY>’, paste yourYoutube APIKey.
9.3. Star.rive
In the bot folderstructure(ct-botdatarivescript),there are twofiles;begin.riveandstar.rive.These
are basicrivescriptfileswhichallow ustomake ourbot respondtouser.Use the contentsof below
star.rive file andpaste itinthe star.rive file atthislocation:[ct-botdatarivescript]
LearningRivescriptiseasyandgooddocumentationisavailable ininternet.Tostart with,the following
linkisgood:https://www.rivescript.com/docs/tutorial
10. We are Done
Finally,we have ourbotready.Restartthe bot fromthe node jscommandprompt.Get startedtextingthe
bot.Have fun!
References:
1. https://docs.botpress.io/
2. https://github.com/botpress/
SnapShots

6. City College of City University of New York _
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adv. Topicsin Internet Programming 6
Clickon GetStarted
Clickon anyof the buttons,foreg: Python
ClickWatch

7. City College of City University of New York _
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adv. Topicsin Internet Programming 7
Go back and try somethinglikethis.

8. City College of City University of New York _
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adv. Topicsin Internet Programming 8