alexa-ability

An Alexa Skills Kit framework for node.

• Read the docs
• Try the interactive demo
• View the examples
• Contribute!

Features

• Asynchronous middleware and intent handlers
• Robust error handling
• Easy access to session and slots data
• Well tested
• Integrates well with any framework

Related packages

• alexa-ability-lambda-handler - Expose abilities as AWS Lambda functions
• alexa-ability-express-handler - Expose abilities as Express endpoints
• alexa-ability-async-handler - Promise creating handler for abilities
• alexa-ability-timeout - Middleware to prevent your skills from stalling.
• alexa-ability-context - Middleware to simplify building multistep conversations.
• alexa-ability-stash - Middleware to easily persist user data (a lot like express-session).
• alexa-utterances - Easily generate an exhaustive list of utterances from a few template strings.
• alexa-ssml - Manipulate and validate SSML using the jsx syntax
• node-lambda - A command line interface to package and deploy AWS Lambda functions

Example (es5 version)

import { Ability, events } from 'alexa-ability';
import { handleAbility } from 'alexa-ability-lambda-handler';

// create our skill
const app = new Ability({
    applicationId: 'my-application-id'
});


// add middleware function that run before every request
app.use(function(req, next) {
    console.log('Handling:', req);
    next();
});


// handle LaunchRequest - "Alexa, launch MyApp"
app.on(events.launch, function(req, next) {
    const cardTitle = 'Greetings';
    const cardContent = 'Hello world!';
    const speech = (`
        <speak>
            Hello <break time="100ms" /> world
        </speak>
    `);

    req.show(cardTitle, cardContent).say('ssml', speech).send();
});


// handle SessionEndedRequest - "Alexa stop"
app.on(events.end, function(req, next) {
    console.log(`Session ended because: ${req.reason}`);
    req.say('Goodbye!').end();
});


// handle custom intents
app.on('MeaningOfLifeIntent', function(req, next) {
    asyncRequest(function(err) {
        if (err) return next(err);
        req.say('42').end();
    });
});


// catches any unhandled requests
app.use(function(req, next) {
    req.say('I don\'t know what to say').end();
});


// gracefully handles any uncaught errors
app.use(function(err, req, next) {
    req.say('Uhoh, something went wrong').end();
});


// export as a lambda handler
export const handler = handleAbility(app);