Writing simple bots using LUIS, QnA Maker, and Bot Framework dialogs from Boston Code Camp, November 2019

2. Expression Spectrum
Machine
Language
C, C++
C#, Java,
JavaScript,
PHP, Perl
Graphical
User
Interface
Natural
Language
• Computers need to be told what to do – exactly and
unambiguously.
• Ever since Grace Hopper, computer scientists have
been working to make it easier for humans to express
their intentions to computers.
Shell scripts,
PowerShell
Power
Platform,
Excel
RAD
tools
COBOL

3. not the one with the most AI
solves the user’s needs in the
quickest/easiest way
This Photo by Unknown Author is
licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

4. Your Bot
Web Service
External
App Web
Service
LUIS

5. BotBuilder v3 BotBuilder v4
C#, Node.js
Inconsistent naming
Monolithic and opinionated
Complex dependency trees
Opinionated
C#, JavaScript, Python, Java
Incorporates feedback from v3
Less “opinionated”, more flexible
Modular and Extensible
Not backward compatible

6. Bot Framework
Channel Service
Adapter
Middleware
Bot

7. Turn Context
A “turn”

8. demo

9. Testing your Bot
App Service with Remote
Debugger
Run directly in Azure
Attach Visual Studio debugger
Bot Framework Emulator
Separate download
Does not require registration
Can connect to bot on localhost
Supports speech recognition
Send sample Team Member
Events
ngrok Tunnel
Tunnels internet requests
to local machine
Allows inspection of
request/response
Free version changes the
URL every time you use it
(8 hr max/use)

10. Middleware

11. Event (C#, JavaScript) Fires when Description
OnTurnAsync,
onTurn
Any activity is received Base class calls the other handlers –
if you override w/o calling
base.OnTurnAsync(), no further
processing will happen!
OnMessageActivityAsync,
onMessage
A message is received Override to handle message
activities
OnConversationUpdateActivi
tyAsync,
onConversationUpdate
A conversation update is
received
Eg/ someone enters or leaves the
conversation
OnInvokeAsync, onInvoke An Invoke activity is
received
Used heavily in Teams for message
extensions, adaptive cards

12. QnA Maker

13. demo

14. • are reusable
• can be hierarchical (screens within
screens, dialogs within dialogs)
Both GUI screens and Bot dialogs:
• separate concerns
• organize the user interaction

15. person
bot

16. Waterfall Dialog

17. luis.ai (UI)
REST API
REST API

19. demo

20. https://dev.botframework.com/
https://www.qnamaker.ai/
https://www.luis.ai/
https://github.com/microsoft/BotBuil
der-Samples
https://github.com/BobGerman/Bots