Showing Url, Location and Carousel Responses in Viber Bot

SUSI Webchat is capable of sending Url, location and carousel responses. In this blog, we will learn about implementing these same responses in SUSI viber bot. We can send text response instead of carousels but it doesn’t attract users and cause difficulties in understanding. In SUSI webchat for query “news” it sends a URL of an article from BBC news which looks like this:

If we send a query “Where is Singapore” it sends location using map response and it looks like this:

For web search SUSI sends carousels which look like this:


To implement these responses in SUSI Viber bot we will send a post request with specific types to the send_message endpoint of Viber chat API https://chatapi.viber.com/pa/send_message. Url, location and carousel responses will be implemented in following way:

  • Url:
    For receiving URL in Viber bot we will post a request with type:’url’ and media:’url to be sent here’. A request will look like code given below.
var options = {
                method: 'POST',
                url: 'https://chatapi.viber.com/pa/send_message',
                headers: headerBody,
                body: {
                    receiver: req.body.sender.id,
                    min_api_version: 1,
                    sender: {
                        name: 'Name of your public Account here',
                        avatar: 'Avatar url for your public account here'
                    },
                    tracking_data: 'tracking data',
                    type: 'url',
                    Media: 'http://www.website.com/go_here'
                },
                json: true
            };
request(options, function(err, res, body) {
                   if (err) throw new Error(err);
                   console.log(body);
               });
  • Location:
    For receiving location with a map on Viber bot we will post a request with type: ‘location’ and location: { lat: latitude, lon: longitude }. In location response, we have to send latitude and longitude values of location to be shown on the map. A request will look like code given below:
var options = {
                method: 'POST',
                url: 'https://chatapi.viber.com/pa/send_message',
                headers: headerBody,
                body: {
                    receiver: req.body.sender.id,
                    min_api_version: 1,
                    sender: {
                        name: 'Name of your public Account here',
                        avatar: 'Avatar url for your public account here'
                    },
                    tracking_data: 'tracking data',
                    type: 'location',
                    location: {
                           lat: latitude,
                           lon: longitude
                       }
                },
                json: true
            };
request(options, function(err, res, body) {
                   if (err) throw new Error(err);
                   console.log(body);
               });

Location response in Viber bot will look like this:

  • Carousel:
    Carousels are horizontal tiles which can be scrolled to view content on them. To receive carousels on Viber bot we will post a request with type: ‘rich_media’ and

    rich_media: {
                       Type: "rich_media",
                       ButtonsGroupColumns: 6,
                       ButtonsGroupRows: 6,
                       BgColor: "#FFFFFF",
                       Buttons: buttons
           }
    

    In rich media “ButtonsGroupColumns” is the number of columns per carousel content block,  “ButtonsGroupRows” is the number of rows per carousel content block and buttons is an array of buttons which contains content to be shown in carousels. A request will look like code given below.

    var options = {
                    method: 'POST',
                    url: 'https://chatapi.viber.com/pa/send_message',
                    headers: headerBody,
                    body: {
                        receiver: req.body.sender.id,
                        min_api_version: 1,
                        sender: {
                            name: 'Name of your public Account here',
                            avatar: 'Avatar url for your public account here'
                        },
                        tracking_data: 'tracking data',
                        type: 'rich_media',
                           rich_media: {
                               Type: "rich_media",
                               ButtonsGroupColumns: 6,
                               ButtonsGroupRows: 6,
                               BgColor: "#FFFFFF",
                               Buttons:{
                                   Columns: 6,
                                   Rows: 3,
                                   Text: 'text to be shown in carousel',
                                   "ActionType": "open-url",
                                   "ActionBody": 'link to be opened on clicking on carousel block',
                                   "TextSize": "medium",
                                   "TextVAlign": "middle",
                                  "TextHAlign": "middle"
                              }            
                           }
                    },
                    json: true
                };
    request(options, function(err, res, body) {
                       if (err) throw new Error(err);
                       console.log(body);
                   });
    

    Carousel response from Viber bot will look like this:

    We have successfully implemented URL, location and carousel response in Viber bot.

    If you want to learn more about Viber chat API refer to https://developers.viber.com/docs/api/rest-bot-api/

    Resources

    Viber Chat API: https://developers.viber.com/docs/api/rest-bot-api/
    Claudia bot builder platform to build Viber bot: https://claudiajs.com/tutorials/viber-chatbot.html
    Viber bot by using PHP: http://thedebuggers.com/build-viber-chat-bot-6-simple-steps/

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How to Make SUSI Bot for Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts is a platform for communication provided by Google. We can also make bots for Google Hangouts. In fact, in this blog, we will make SUSI bot for Google Hangouts. In order to make it we will follow these steps:

  1. Install Node.js from the link below on your computer if you haven’t installed it already.
    https://nodejs.org/en/
  2. Create a folder with any name and open a shell and change your current directory to the new folder you created.
  3. Type npm init in the shell and enter details like name, version and entry point.
  4. Create a file with the same name that you wrote in entry point in an above-given step. i.app.js and it should be in the same folder you created.
  5. Type following commands in command line  npm install –save hangouts-bot. After hangouts-bot is installed, type npm install –save express.  On success, type npm install –save request. When all the modules are installed check your package.json file; therein you’ll see the modules in the dependencies portion.
  6. Your package.json file should look like this.

    {
     "name": "susi_hangout",
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "description": "SUSI AI bot for Google Hangouts",
     "main": "app.js",
     "scripts": {
       "start": "node app.js"
     },
     "author": "",
     "license": "",
     "dependencies": {
       "express": "^4.15.3",
       "hangouts-bot": "^0.2.1",
       "request": "^2.81.0"
     }
    }
    
  7. Copy following code into file you created i.e index.js
    var hangoutsBot = require("hangouts-bot");
    var bot = new hangoutsBot("your-email-here", process.env.password|| config.password);
    var request = require('request');
    var express = require('express');
    
    var app = express();
    app.set('port', 8080);
    
    bot.on('online', function() {
       console.log('online');
    });
    
    bot.on('message', function(from, message) {
       console.log(from + ">> " + message);
    
           var options1 = {
           method: 'GET',
           url: 'http://api.susi.ai/susi/chat.json',
           qs: {
               timezoneOffset: '-330',
               q: message
           }
       };
    
       request(options1, function(error, response, body) {
               if (error) throw new Error(error);
               // answer fetched from susi
               var type = (JSON.parse(body)).answers[0].actions;
               var answer, columns, data, key, i, count;
               if (type.length == 1 && type[0].type == "answer") {
                   answer = (JSON.parse(body)).answers[0].actions[0].expression;
                   bot.sendMessage(from, answer);
               } else if (type.length == 1 && type[0].type == "table") {
                   data = JSON.parse(body).answers[0].data;
                   columns = type[0].columns;
                   key = Object.keys(columns);
                   count = JSON.parse(body).answers[0].metadata.count;
                   console.log(key);
                   for (i = 0; i < count; i++) {
                       answer = "";
                       answer =key[0].toUpperCase() + ": " + data[i][key[0]] + "\n" + key[1].toUpperCase() + ": " + data[i][key[1]] + "\n" + key[2].toUpperCase() + ": " + data[i][key[2]] + "\n\n";
                       bot.sendMessage(from, answer);
                   }
               } else if (type.length == 2 && type[1].type == "rss"){
                 data = (JSON.parse(body)).answers[0].data;
                 columns = type[1];
                 key = Object.keys(columns);
                 for(i = 0; i< 4; i++){
                     if(i == 0){
                         answer = (JSON.parse(body)).answers[0].actions[0].expression;
                         bot.sendMessage(from, answer);
                     } else {
                         answer = "";
                         answer = key[1].toUpperCase() + ": " + data[i][key[1]] + "\n" + key[2].toUpperCase() + ": " + data[i][key[2]] + "\n" + key[3].toUpperCase() + ": " + data[i][key[3]] + "\n\n";
                         bot.sendMessage(from, answer);
                     }
                 }
               } else {
                   answer = "Oops looks like SUSI is taking break try to contact later.";
                   bot.sendMessage(from, answer);
               }
       });
    });
    
    app.listen(app.get('port'));
    
  8. Enter your email in above code.Now, we have to deploy the above-written code onto Heroku, but first, we will make a Github repository and push the files to Github as we will use Github to deploy our code.
    In command line change current directory to folder we created above and  write

    git init
    git add .
    git commit -m”initial”
    git remote add origin <URL for remote repository>
    git remote -v
    git push -u origin master

    You will get URL for the remote repository by making a repository on your Github and copying this link of your repository.

  9. Now we have to deploy this Github repository to Heroku to get URL.
  10. If you don’t have an account on Heroku sign up here https://www.heroku.com/ else just sign in and create a new app.
  11. Deploy your repository onto Heroku from deploy option and choosing Github as a deployment method.
  12. Select automatic deployment so that when you make any changes in the Github repository, they are automatically deployed to heroku.

You have successfully made SUSI Hangout bot. Try massaging it from your other account on https://hangouts.google.com

Resources

Hangouts bot in python: https://github.com/hangoutsbot/hangoutsbot

Continue ReadingHow to Make SUSI Bot for Google Hangouts

How to integrate SUSI AI in Google Assistant

Google Assistant is a personal assistant by Google. Google Assistant can interact with other applications. In fact, we can integrate our own applications with Google Assistant using Actions on Google. In order to integrate SUSI action with Google Assistant we will follow these steps:

  1. Install Node.js from the link below on your computer if you haven’t installed it already. https://nodejs.org/en/
  2. Create a folder with any name and open a shell and change your current directory to the new folder you created. 
  3. Type npm init in the shell and enter details like name, version and entry point. 
  4. Create a file with the same name that you wrote in entry point in above-given step. i.e index.js and it should be in the same folder you created. 
  5. Type following commands in command line  npm install –save actions-on-google. After actions-on-google is installed, type npm install –save express.  On success, type npm install –save request, and at last type npm install –save body-parser. When all the modules are installed check your package.json file; therein you’ll see the modules in the dependencies portion.

    Your package.json file should look like this

    {
     "name": "susi_google",
     "version": "1.0.0",
     "description": "susi on google",
     "main": "app.js",
     "scripts": {
       "start": "node app.js"
     },
     "author": "",
     "license": "ISC",
     "dependencies": {
       "actions-on-google": "^1.1.1",
       "body-parser": "^1.17.2",
       "express": "^4.15.3",
       "request": "^2.81.0"
     }
    }
    
  6. Copy following code into file you created i.e index.js
    // Enable debugging
    process.env.DEBUG = 'actions-on-google:*';
    
    var Assistant = require('actions-on-google').ApiAiApp;
    var express = require('express');
    var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
    
    //defining app and port
    var app = express();
    app.set('port', (process.env.PORT || 8080));
    app.use(bodyParser.json());
    
    const SUSI_INTENT = 'name-of-action-you defined-in-your-intent';
    
    app.post('/webhook', function (request, response) {
     //console.log('headers: ' + JSON.stringify(request.headers));
     //console.log('body: ' + JSON.stringify(request.body));
    
     const assistant = new Assistant({request: request, response: response});
    
     function responseHandler (app) {
       // intent contains the name of the intent you defined in the Actions area of API.AI
       let intent = assistant.getIntent();
       switch (intent) {
         case SUSI_INTENT:
           var query = assistant.getRawInput(SUSI_INTENT);
           console.log(query);
    
           var options = {
           method: 'GET',
           url: 'http://api.asksusi.com/susi/chat.json',
           qs: {
               timezoneOffset: '-330',
               q: query
             }
           };
    
           var request = require('request');
           request(options, function(error, response, body) {
           if (error) throw new Error(error);
    
           var ans = (JSON.parse(body)).answers[0].actions[0].expression;
           assistant.ask(ans);
    
           });
           break;
    
       }
     }
     assistant.handleRequest(responseHandler);
    });
    
    // For starting the server
    var server = app.listen(app.get('port'), function () {
     console.log('App listening on port %s', server.address().port);
    });
    
  7. Now we will make a project on developer’s console of Actions on Google and after that, you will set up action on your project using API.AI
  8. Above step will open API.AI console create an agent there for the project you created above. 
  9. Now we have an agent. In order to create SUSI action on Google, we will define an “intent” from options in the left menu on API.AI, but as we have to receive responses from SUSI API so we have to set up webhook first.

     
  10. See “fulfillment” option in the left menu. Open to enable it and to enter the URL. We have to deploy the above-written code onto Heroku, but first, make a Github repository and push the files in the folder we created above.

    In command line change current directory to folder we created above and  write
    git init
    git add .
    git commit -m”initial”
    git remote add origin <URL for remote repository>
    git remote -v
    git push -u origin master 

    You will get URL for the remote repository by making a repository on your Github and copying this link of your repository.


  11. Now we have to deploy this Github repository to Heroku to get URL. 
  12. If you don’t have an account on Heroku sign up here https://www.heroku.com/ else just sign in and create a new app. 
  13. Deploy your repository onto Heroku from deploy option and choosing GitHub as a deployment method.
  14. Select automatic deployment so that when you make any changes in the Github repository, they are automatically deployed to Heroku.
  15. Open your app from an option on the top right and copy the link of your Heroku app and append it with /webhook and enter this URL into fulfillment URL.

    https://{Your_App_Name}.herokuapp.com/webhook
     
  16. After setting up webhook we will make an intent on API.AI, which will get what user is asking from SUSI. To create an intent, select “intent” from the left menu and create an intent with the information given in screenshot below and save your intent.

     
  17. After creating the intent, your agent is ready. You just have to integrate your agent with Actions on Google. Turn on its integration from the “integration” option in the left menu. 
  18. Your SUSI action on Google Assistant is ready now. To test it click on actions on Google in integration menu and choose “test” option.

  19. You can only test it with the same email you have used for creating the project in step 7. To test it on Google Assistant follow this demo video https://youtu.be/wHwsZOCKaYY

If you want to learn more about action on Google with API.AI refer to this link https://developers.google.com/actions/apiai/

Resources
Actions on Google: https://developers.google.com/actions/apiai/

Continue ReadingHow to integrate SUSI AI in Google Assistant