botnaut
Version:
Facebook Messenger Chatbot Framework
1,000 lines (445 loc) • 28.8 kB
HTML
<html lang="" >
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type">
<title>Nesting - Reusable Blocks · Botnaut</title>
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />
<meta name="description" content="">
<meta name="generator" content="GitBook 3.2.3">
<meta name="author" content="David Menger">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="../gitbook/style.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-anchors/plugin.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-highlight/website.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-search/search.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-fontsettings/website.css">
<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true"/>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, user-scalable=no">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes">
<meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="152x152" href="../gitbook/images/apple-touch-icon-precomposed-152.png">
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="../gitbook/images/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon">
<link rel="next" href="nestingRouters.html" />
<link rel="prev" href="advancedRouting.html" />
</head>
<body>
<div class="book">
<div class="book-summary">
<div id="book-search-input" role="search">
<input type="text" placeholder="Type to search" />
</div>
<nav role="navigation">
<ul class="summary">
<li class="header">Building a chat bot</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.1" data-path="../">
<a href="../">
Getting Started
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.2" data-path="buildingConversation.html">
<a href="buildingConversation.html">
Building a Conversation
</a>
<ul class="articles">
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.2.1" data-path="buildingConversation.html">
<a href="buildingConversation.html#asking-a-question">
Asking a question
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.2.2" data-path="buildingConversation.html">
<a href="buildingConversation.html#using-quick-replies-for-controlling-conversation">
Using quick replies
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.2.3" data-path="buildingConversation.html">
<a href="buildingConversation.html#post-back-is-also-an-action">
Postbacks
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.3" data-path="conversationState.html">
<a href="conversationState.html">
Conversation State
</a>
<ul class="articles">
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.3.1" data-path="conversationState.html">
<a href="conversationState.html#accessing-user-profile">
User profile
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.3.2" data-path="conversationState.html">
<a href="conversationState.html#using-the-state-in-navigation">
Using state in navigation
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.3.3" data-path="conversationState.html">
<a href="conversationState.html#reading-and-modifiing-user-state">
Reading and writing state
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.4" data-path="asyncActions.html">
<a href="asyncActions.html">
Asynchronous Actions
</a>
<ul class="articles">
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.4.1" data-path="asyncActions.html">
<a href="asyncActions.html#blocking-asynchronous-actions">
Blocking Actions
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.4.2" data-path="asyncActions.html">
<a href="asyncActions.html#non-blocking-asynchronous-actions">
Non Blocking Actions
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.4.3" data-path="asyncActions.html">
<a href="asyncActions.html#loading-attachments-to-buffer">
Loading Attachments
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.5" data-path="advancedRouting.html">
<a href="advancedRouting.html">
Advanced Routing
</a>
<ul class="articles">
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.5.1" data-path="advancedRouting.html">
<a href="advancedRouting.html#resolving-actions">
Resolving Actions
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.5.2" data-path="advancedRouting.html">
<a href="advancedRouting.html#simple-text-actions">
Text Actions
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.5.3" data-path="advancedRouting.html">
<a href="advancedRouting.html#integrating-with-ai-prediction">
Integrating AI
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.5.4" data-path="advancedRouting.html">
<a href="advancedRouting.html#redirecting-flow-with-post-back">
Redirecting with Postback
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="chapter active" data-level="1.6" data-path="nestingRouters.html">
<a href="nestingRouters.html">
Nesting - Reusable Blocks
</a>
<ul class="articles">
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.6.1" data-path="nestingRouters.html">
<a href="nestingRouters.html#basic-concept">
Concept
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.6.2" data-path="nestingRouters.html">
<a href="nestingRouters.html#example">
Example
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.7" data-path="templates.html">
<a href="templates.html">
Sending Templates
</a>
<ul class="articles">
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.7.1" data-path="templates.html">
<a href="templates.html#button-template">
Button Template
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.7.2" data-path="templates.html">
<a href="templates.html#generic-template">
Generic Template
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.7.3" data-path="templates.html">
<a href="templates.html#receipt-template">
Receipt Template
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.7.4" data-path="templates.html">
<a href="templates.html#working-with-webviews">
Webviews
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.8" data-path="testing.html">
<a href="testing.html">
Testing
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.9" data-path="analytics.html">
<a href="analytics.html">
Analytics
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.10" data-path="usingWithWingbot.html">
<a href="usingWithWingbot.html">
Using with Wingbot.ai
</a>
<ul class="articles">
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.10.1" data-path="usingWithWingbot.html">
<a href="usingWithWingbot.html#bot-configuration">
Bot configuration
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.10.2" data-path="usingWithWingbot.html">
<a href="usingWithWingbot.html#express-mongodb">
Express Mongodb
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="1.10.3" data-path="usingWithWingbot.html">
<a href="usingWithWingbot.html#serverless-aws-lambda">
Serverless AWS Lambda
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="header">API</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.1" data-path="../api/Request.html">
<a href="../api/Request.html">
Request
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.2" data-path="../api/Responder.html">
<a href="../api/Responder.html">
Responder
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.3" data-path="../api/Router.html">
<a href="../api/Router.html">
Router
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.4" data-path="../api/Tester.html">
<a href="../api/Tester.html">
Tester
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.5" data-path="../api/ButtonTemplate.html">
<a href="../api/ButtonTemplate.html">
Template Builders
</a>
<ul class="articles">
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.5.1" data-path="../api/ButtonTemplate.html">
<a href="../api/ButtonTemplate.html#ButtonTemplate">
ButtonTemplate
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.5.2" data-path="../api/ButtonTemplate.html">
<a href="../api/ButtonTemplate.html#GenericTemplate">
GenericTemplate
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.5.3" data-path="../api/ButtonTemplate.html">
<a href="../api/ButtonTemplate.html#ReceiptTemplate">
ReceiptTemplate
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.6" data-path="../api/Settings.html">
<a href="../api/Settings.html">
Bot Settings
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.7" data-path="../api/express.html">
<a href="../api/express.html">
Express/MongoDb tools
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.8" data-path="../api/bufferloader.html">
<a href="../api/bufferloader.html">
Utils
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.9" data-path="../api/Ai.html">
<a href="../api/Ai.html">
Ai
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.10" data-path="../api/serverlessAWS.html">
<a href="../api/serverlessAWS.html">
Serverless
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.11" data-path="../api/BuildRouter.html">
<a href="../api/BuildRouter.html">
Wingbot.ai
</a>
</li>
<li class="chapter " data-level="2.12" data-path="../api/callback.html">
<a href="../api/callback.html">
Middlewares
</a>
</li>
<li class="divider"></li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.gitbook.com" target="blank" class="gitbook-link">
Published with GitBook
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</div>
<div class="book-body">
<div class="body-inner">
<div class="book-header" role="navigation">
<!-- Title -->
<h1>
<i class="fa fa-circle-o-notch fa-spin"></i>
<a href=".." >Nesting - Reusable Blocks</a>
</h1>
</div>
<div class="page-wrapper" tabindex="-1" role="main">
<div class="page-inner">
<div id="book-search-results">
<div class="search-noresults">
<section class="normal markdown-section">
<h1 id="nested-routers---creating-conversation-blocks"><a name="nested-routers---creating-conversation-blocks" class="plugin-anchor" href="#nested-routers---creating-conversation-blocks"><i class="fa fa-link" aria-hidden="true"></i></a>Nested Routers - Creating conversation blocks</h1>
<p>Developing large chatbots with many flows requires advanced code organization.
We came up with solution which allows:</p>
<ul>
<li>creating reusable conversation blocks</li>
<li>composability of whole flows</li>
<li>keeping code clear and maintainable</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="basic-concept"><a name="basic-concept" class="plugin-anchor" href="#basic-concept"><i class="fa fa-link" aria-hidden="true"></i></a>Basic concept</h2>
<p>Each conversation block has a single entry point and one or more exit points.</p>
<pre><code> start
|
|-O------------|
| |
| conversation | is represented by single
| block | <Router> instance
| |
|-X---X---X----|
| | |
exit points
</code></pre><p>When attaching the block into application, each exit point <strong>must be "connected"</strong> into
a parent conversation block.</p>
<h2 id="example"><a name="example" class="plugin-anchor" href="#example"><i class="fa fa-link" aria-hidden="true"></i></a>Example</h2>
<p>First, let's start with a module. There is a single entry point: (<code>'/'</code>) and
two exit points (<code>'setName'</code> and <code>'leave'</code>). It's recomended to return data instead of
setting them to state.</p>
<pre><code class="lang-javascript"><span class="hljs-comment">// setName.js</span>
<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-comment">// entry point</span>
bot.use(<span class="hljs-string">'/'</span>, (req, res) => {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Please, give me a full name :)'</span>)
.expected(<span class="hljs-string">'name'</span>);
});
<span class="hljs-comment">// leave exit point</span>
bot.use(<span class="hljs-string">'/leave'</span>, () => Router.exit(<span class="hljs-string">'leave'</span>));
bot.use(<span class="hljs-string">'/name'</span>, (req, res) => {
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> name = req.text();
<span class="hljs-keyword">if</span> (!name || name.split(<span class="hljs-string">' '</span>).length < <span class="hljs-number">2</span>) {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Fullname must have two words or more.'</span>)
.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Please try it again'</span>, {
leave: <span class="hljs-string">'Don\'t want'</span>
});
<span class="hljs-comment">// just stop dispatching (equal to "return undefined;")</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword">return</span> Router.END;
}
<span class="hljs-comment">// pass data to exit point</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword">return</span> Router.exit(<span class="hljs-string">'setName'</span>, { name });
});
<span class="hljs-built_in">module</span>.exports = bot;
</code></pre>
<p>And here is how to connect the block into the application.
<strong>All exit points must be covered by handlers: <code>.onExit()</code></strong> to ensure continuous conversation.</p>
<pre><code class="lang-javascript"><span class="hljs-comment">// index.js</span>
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> { Router, Settings } = <span class="hljs-built_in">require</span>(<span class="hljs-string">'botnaut'</span>);
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> setName = <span class="hljs-built_in">require</span>(<span class="hljs-string">'./setName'</span>);
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> settings = <span class="hljs-keyword">new</span> Settings(<span class="hljs-string">'pagetoken'</span>);
settings.getStartedButton(<span class="hljs-string">'/start'</span>);
<span class="hljs-keyword">const</span> bot = <span class="hljs-keyword">new</span> Router();
bot.use(<span class="hljs-string">'/start'</span>, (req, res) => {
<span class="hljs-keyword">if</span> (req.state.name) {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">`Hello, I'am <span class="hljs-subst">${req.state.name}</span>`</span>, {
setName: <span class="hljs-string">'That\'s bad name'</span>
});
} <span class="hljs-keyword">else</span> {
res.text(<span class="hljs-string">'Hello, please give me name!'</span>, {
setName: <span class="hljs-string">'Let\'s do it'</span>
});
}
});
bot.use(<span class="hljs-string">'/setName'</span>, setName)
<span class="hljs-comment">// react on setName exit point</span>
.onExit(<span class="hljs-string">'setName'</span>, ({ name }, req, res, postBack) => {
res.setState({ name });
postBack(<span class="hljs-string">'/'</span>);
})
<span class="hljs-comment">// react on leave exit point</span>
.onExit(<span class="hljs-string">'leave'</span>, (data, req, res, postBack) => postBack(<span class="hljs-string">'/start'</span>));
<span class="hljs-built_in">module</span>.exports = bot;
</code></pre>
<p>And this is, how the implementation works:</p>
<pre><code>*-----------------------------------*
| Get started |
| Hello, please give me name! |
| |
| Let\'s do it |
| Please, give me a full name :) |
| |
| Ok |
| Fullname must have two words |
| or more. |
| Please try it again |
| |
| Dorian Gray |
| Hello, I'am Dorian Gray |
*-----------------------------------*
</code></pre>
</section>
</div>
<div class="search-results">
<div class="has-results">
<h1 class="search-results-title"><span class='search-results-count'></span> results matching "<span class='search-query'></span>"</h1>
<ul class="search-results-list"></ul>
</div>
<div class="no-results">
<h1 class="search-results-title">No results matching "<span class='search-query'></span>"</h1>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="advancedRouting.html#redirecting-flow-with-post-back" class="navigation navigation-prev " aria-label="Previous page: Redirecting with Postback">
<i class="fa fa-angle-left"></i>
</a>
<a href="nestingRouters.html#basic-concept" class="navigation navigation-next " aria-label="Next page: Concept">
<i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i>
</a>
</div>
<script>
var gitbook = gitbook || [];
gitbook.push(function() {
gitbook.page.hasChanged({"page":{"title":"Nesting - Reusable Blocks","level":"1.6","depth":1,"next":{"title":"Concept","level":"1.6.1","depth":2,"anchor":"#basic-concept","path":"tutorial/nestingRouters.md","ref":"tutorial/nestingRouters.md#basic-concept","articles":[]},"previous":{"title":"Redirecting with Postback","level":"1.5.4","depth":2,"anchor":"#redirecting-flow-with-post-back","path":"tutorial/advancedRouting.md","ref":"tutorial/advancedRouting.md#redirecting-flow-with-post-back","articles":[]},"dir":"ltr"},"config":{"plugins":["theme-default","collapsible-menu","anchors"],"styles":{"ebook":"styles/ebook.css","epub":"styles/epub.css","mobi":"styles/mobi.css","pdf":"styles/pdf.css","print":"styles/print.css","website":"styles/website.css"},"pluginsConfig":{"collapsible-menu":{},"search":{},"lunr":{"maxIndexSize":1000000,"ignoreSpecialCharacters":false},"fontsettings":{"theme":"white","family":"sans","size":2},"highlight":{},"theme-api":{"theme":"dark","languages":[{"lang":"js","name":"JavaScript","default":true}]},"sharing":{"facebook":true,"twitter":true,"google":false,"weibo":false,"instapaper":false,"vk":false,"all":["facebook","google","twitter","weibo","instapaper"]},"theme-default":{"showLevel":false,"styles":{"ebook":"styles/ebook.css","epub":"styles/epub.css","mobi":"styles/mobi.css","pdf":"styles/pdf.css","print":"styles/print.css","website":"styles/website.css"}},"anchors":{}},"theme":"default","author":"David Menger","pdf":{"pageNumbers":true,"fontSize":12,"fontFamily":"Arial","paperSize":"a4","chapterMark":"pagebreak","pageBreaksBefore":"/","margin":{"right":62,"left":62,"top":56,"bottom":56}},"structure":{"langs":"LANGS.md","readme":"README.md","glossary":"GLOSSARY.md","summary":"SUMMARY.md"},"variables":{"twitter":"https://twitter.com/davidmenger"},"title":"Botnaut","gitbook":"*","description":"Facebook Messenger framework for Node.js"},"file":{"path":"tutorial/nestingRouters.md","mtime":"2017-08-07T06:58:07.000Z","type":"markdown"},"gitbook":{"version":"3.2.3","time":"2018-05-23T15:31:59.833Z"},"basePath":"..","book":{"language":""}});
});
</script>
</div>
<script src="../gitbook/gitbook.js"></script>
<script src="../gitbook/theme.js"></script>
<script src="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-collapsible-menu/plugin.js"></script>
<script src="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-search/search-engine.js"></script>
<script src="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-search/search.js"></script>
<script src="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-lunr/lunr.min.js"></script>
<script src="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-lunr/search-lunr.js"></script>
<script src="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-sharing/buttons.js"></script>
<script src="../gitbook/gitbook-plugin-fontsettings/fontsettings.js"></script>
</body>
</html>