botbuilder-adapter-hangouts
v1.0.9
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Connect Botkit or BotBuilder to Google Hangouts
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botbuilder-adapter-hangouts
Connect Botkit or BotBuilder to Google Hangouts.
This package contains an adapter that communicates directly with the Google Hangouts API, and translates messages to and from a standard format used by your bot. This package can be used alongside your favorite bot development framework to build bots that work with Google Hangouts.
Install Package
Add this package to your project using npm:
npm install --save botbuilder-adapter-hangouts
Import the adapter class into your code:
const { HangoutsAdapter } = require('botbuilder-adapter-hangouts');
Get Started
If you are starting a brand new project, follow these instructions to create a customized application template.
Use HangoutsAdapter in your App
HangoutsAdapter provides a translation layer for Botkit and BotBuilder so that bot developers can connect to Google Hangouts and have access to the Google Hangouts's API.
Botkit Basics
When used in concert with Botkit, developers need only pass the configured adapter to the Botkit constructor, as seen below. Botkit will automatically create and configure the webhook endpoints and other options necessary for communicating with Google.
Developers can then bind to Botkit's event emitting system using controller.on
and controller.hears
to filter and handle incoming events from the messaging platform. Learn more about Botkit's core feature →.
const adapter = new HangoutsAdapter({
token: process.env.GOOGLE_TOKEN,
google_auth_params: {
credentials: process.env.GOOGLE_CREDS
}
});
const controller = new Botkit({
adapter,
// ...other options
});
controller.on('message', async(bot, message) => {
await bot.reply(message, 'I heard a message!');
});
BotBuilder Basics
Alternately, developers may choose to use HangoutsAdapter
with BotBuilder. With BotBuilder, the adapter is used more directly with a webserver, and all incoming events are handled as Activities.
const adapter = new HangoutsAdapter({
token: process.env.GOOGLE_TOKEN,
google_auth_params: {
credentials: process.env.GOOGLE_CREDS
}
});
const server = restify.createServer();
server.use(restify.plugins.bodyParser());
server.post('/api/messages', (req, res) => {
adapter.processActivity(req, res, async(context) => {
await context.sendActivity('I heard a message!');
});
});
Class Reference
Event List
Botkit will emit the following events:
| Event | Description |--- |--- | message | a message from a user received in a shared channel | card_clicked | a user clicked a button on a card attachment | direct_message | a message from a user received in a private 1:1 with the bot | bot_room_join | the bot joined a new room | bot_dm_join | a new 1:1 with a user has been created | bot_room_leave | the bot has been removed from a room | bot_dm_leave | a 1:1 with a user has been closed
Calling Google APIs
This package exposes a pre-configured Google API client for developers who want to use one of the many available API endpoints.
In Botkit handlers, the bot
worker object passed into all handlers will contain a bot.api
field that contains the client, preconfigured and ready to use.
controller.on('message', async(bot, message) {
// get a list of the members of a room
let members = await bot.api.spaces.members.get({name: message.channel});
// .. do stuff
});
Botkit Extensions
In Botkit handlers, the bot
worker for Hangouts contains all of the base methods as well as the following platform-specific extensions:
Use cards
Botkit will automatically construct your outgoing messages according to Google's specifications. Google Hangouts supports card attachments with buttons.
To use card attachments, add the cards
field to the outgoing message object used to create the reply:
await bot.reply(message, {
text: 'Pick a card!',
cards: [
{
// card object
},
]
});
Reply in a new thread
In Google Hangouts, messages are organized into threads. Botkit provides specialized methods for cases where a bot's reply should create a new thread, or for when a bot should conduct an entire conversation in new/separate thread.
Respond to card_clicked
events
When a button in an card attachment is clicked, Google sends a special event that requires a special response. Botkit will emit a card_clicked
event, which should be responded to using
either bot.replyWithUpdate()
or bot.replyWithNew()
.
See Google doc for interactive cards →.
Update and remove messages
Google Hangouts supports updating and deleting messages. Do so with the following convenience methods:
Community & Support
Join our thriving community of Botkit developers and bot enthusiasts at large. Over 10,000 members strong, our open Slack group is the place for people interested in the art and science of making bots. Come to ask questions, share your progress, and commune with your peers!
You can also find help from members of the Botkit team in our dedicated Cisco Spark room!
About Botkit
Botkit is a part of the Microsoft Bot Framework.
Want to contribute? Read the contributor guide
Botkit is released under the MIT Open Source license