Microsoft botframework (node.js): how to trigger bot from HTTP request

Question

I want to trigger my bot with http request (for example just entering http://localhost:3978/api/messages/http) so after triggering it, it will send every user that is connected to this bot some message. I have seen this topic: How to send message later in bot framework? And this is what I have so far:

var restify = require('restify');
var builder = require('botbuilder');
var server = restify.createServer();
server.listen(process.env.port || process.env.PORT || 3978, function () {
console.log('%s listening to %s', server.name, server.url); 
});

var connector = new builder.ChatConnector({
appId: process.env.MICROSOFT_APP_ID,
appPassword: process.env.MICROSOFT_APP_PASSWORD
});

server.post('/api/messages', connector.listen());
var bot = new builder.UniversalBot(connector);

bot.dialog('/',function (session) {
var reply = session.message; // address: reply.address
reply.text = 'Wake up!'
console.log(reply.text);
bot.send(reply);
});

// Create response function
function respond(req, res, next) {
res.send('hello ' + req.params.name);
bot.send(reply);
next();
}
server.get('/api/messages/:name', respond);

Unfortunately, it doesn't send any messages while I am acessing my http://localhost:3978/api/messages/http. I also tried to use

connector.send('message');

But it always throughs me "ERROR: ChatConnector: send - message is missing address or serviceUrl."

UPDATE: I have announced a global var for the reply with

var globalreply;
bot.dialog('/',function (session) {
globalreply = session.message; // address: reply.address
globalreply.text = 'Wake up!'
console.log(globalreply.text);
bot.send(globalreply);
});

// Create response function
function respond(req, res, next) {
res.send('hello ' + req.params.name);
bot.beginDialog;
bot.send(globalreply);
next();
}

But now it throughs me an error: TypeError: Cannot read property 'conversation' of undefined. At my bot.send(globalreply); line. Looking forward your help.

Best regards.

nilsw nilsw · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-06T18:28:28

If you want to set up a normal HTTP API route, I suggest using the Restify API style routing, rather than the bot's /api/messages route handler.

For example:

function apiResponseHandler(req, res, next) {
  // trigger botbuilder actions/dialogs here
  next();
}

server.get('/hello/:name', apiResponseHandler);

Microsoft botframework (node.js): how to trigger bot from HTTP request

1 Answers