botnaut
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Facebook Messenger Chatbot Framework
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Blocking Actions
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<a href=".." >Asynchronous Actions</a>
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<h1 id="asynchronous-actions"><a name="asynchronous-actions" class="plugin-anchor" href="#asynchronous-actions"><i class="fa fa-link" aria-hidden="true"></i></a>Asynchronous actions</h1>
<p>Processing a chat event from user blocks other event from same user until the processing is finnished. It's very important for choosing right approach.</p>
<p>There are two approches to drive asynchronous actions:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>blocking</strong>: Other Messenger events are waiting for limited time until the asynchronous operation is completed</li>
<li><strong>non blocking</strong>: Bot can process other chat events while asynchronous operation is in progress</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>Blocking is important for keeping conversation state consistent.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="blocking-asynchronous-actions"><a name="blocking-asynchronous-actions" class="plugin-anchor" href="#blocking-asynchronous-actions"><i class="fa fa-link" aria-hidden="true"></i></a>Blocking Asynchronous actions</h2>
<p>For fast async operations you can use blocking approach. You can simply return a Promise.</p>
<pre><code class="lang-javascript"><span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> { Router } = <span class="hljs-built_in">require</span>(<span class="hljs-string">'botnaut'</span>);
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> bot = <span class="hljs-keyword">new</span> Router();
<span class="hljs-function"><span class="hljs-keyword">function</span> <span class="hljs-title">asyncAction</span> (<span class="hljs-params"></span>) </span>{
<span class="hljs-keyword">return</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">new</span> <span class="hljs-built_in">Promise</span>(r => setTimeout(() => r(<span class="hljs-built_in">Math</span>.rand()), <span class="hljs-number">100</span>));
}
bot.use((req, res) => {
<span class="hljs-keyword">return</span> asyncAction()
.then(result => {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Complete!'</span>)
.setState({ result });
})
.catch((err => {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Async action failed'</span>);
});
});
<span class="hljs-built_in">module</span>.exports = bot;
</code></pre>
<h2 id="non-blocking-asynchronous-actions"><a name="non-blocking-asynchronous-actions" class="plugin-anchor" href="#non-blocking-asynchronous-actions"><i class="fa fa-link" aria-hidden="true"></i></a>Non blocking asynchronous actions</h2>
<p>For non blocking approach is good to know, that <strong>only postBack can be called after an action is resolved</strong>.
Any other calls, like <code>setState()</code> will have no effect. This is the only right way to make non-blocking asynchronous operations.</p>
<pre><code class="lang-javascript"><span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> { Router } = <span class="hljs-built_in">require</span>(<span class="hljs-string">'botnaut'</span>);
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> bot = <span class="hljs-keyword">new</span> Router();
<span class="hljs-function"><span class="hljs-keyword">function</span> <span class="hljs-title">asyncAction</span> (<span class="hljs-params"></span>) </span>{
<span class="hljs-keyword">return</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">new</span> <span class="hljs-built_in">Promise</span>(r => setTimeout(() => <span class="hljs-built_in">Math</span>.rand(), <span class="hljs-number">100</span>));
}
bot.use(<span class="hljs-string">'/asyncComplete'</span>, (req, res) => {
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> { result, err } = req.action(<span class="hljs-literal">true</span>);
<span class="hljs-keyword">if</span> (err) {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Async action failed'</span>);
} <span class="hljs-keyword">else</span> {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Complete!'</span>)
.setState({ result });
}
});
bot.use((req, res, postBack) => {
<span class="hljs-comment">// wait method is usefull for testing</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> handler = postBack.wait();
asyncAction()
.then(result => handler(<span class="hljs-string">'asyncComplete'</span>, { result }))
.catch(err => handler(<span class="hljs-string">'asyncComplete'</span>, { err }));
});
<span class="hljs-built_in">module</span>.exports = bot;
</code></pre>
<blockquote>
<p><code>postBack.wait()</code> helps you to write sequential tests. Conversation is not blocked, while the action runs, but final Promise is resolved, after the <code>handler()</code> function is called.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="loading-attachments-to-buffer"><a name="loading-attachments-to-buffer" class="plugin-anchor" href="#loading-attachments-to-buffer"><i class="fa fa-link" aria-hidden="true"></i></a>Loading Attachments to Buffer</h2>
<p>Most simpliest way to upload attachments is converting them to base64 buffer:</p>
<pre><code class="lang-javascript"><span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> { Router, bufferloader } = <span class="hljs-built_in">require</span>(<span class="hljs-string">'botnaut'</span>);
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> bot = <span class="hljs-keyword">new</span> Router();
<span class="hljs-function"><span class="hljs-keyword">function</span> <span class="hljs-title">asyncAction</span> (<span class="hljs-params"></span>) </span>{
<span class="hljs-keyword">return</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">new</span> <span class="hljs-built_in">Promise</span>(r => setTimeout(() => <span class="hljs-built_in">Math</span>.rand(), <span class="hljs-number">100</span>));
}
bot.use(<span class="hljs-string">'/uploadComplete'</span>, (req, res) => {
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> { result, err } =
<span class="hljs-keyword">if</span> (!err) {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Complete!'</span>)
.setState({ result });
} <span class="hljs-keyword">else</span> <span class="hljs-keyword">if</span> (err.code === <span class="hljs-number">400</span>) {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Upload size exceeded'</span>);
} <span class="hljs-keyword">else</span> {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Async action failed'</span>);
}
});
bot.use((req, res, postBack) => {
<span class="hljs-comment">// wait method is usefull for testing</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword">if</span> (!req.isAttachment()) {
<span class="hljs-keyword">return</span> Router.CONTINUE;
}
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> handler = postBack.wait();
bufferloader(<span class="hljs-keyword">this</span>.req.attachmentUrl(), <span class="hljs-number">1024</span>)
.then(buf => handler(<span class="hljs-string">'uploadComplete'</span>, { result: buf.toString(<span class="hljs-string">'base64'</span>) }))
.catch(err => handler(<span class="hljs-string">'uploadComplete'</span>, { err }));
});
<span class="hljs-built_in">module</span>.exports = bot;
</code></pre>
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