
To start developing a chatbot with Chat Bot Js, you'll need to have Node.js installed on your computer. This is because Chat Bot Js is built on top of Node.js and requires it to run.
You can download and install Node.js from the official website. Once installed, you'll be able to use the Chat Bot Js library to create your chatbot.
Chat Bot Js is a JavaScript library that allows you to create chatbots for various platforms, including Facebook Messenger and Slack. It's known for its ease of use and flexibility, making it a popular choice among developers.
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Getting Started
To get started with chat bot JS, you'll need to implement the ChatBot Chat Widget on your website. This can be done by loading the OpenWidget object along with the Chat Widget tracking code.
You can use the on and call functions to trigger specific actions in your code. The on function is triggered when a specific action occurs, such as when the chat widget is loaded, opened, or closed. The call function can be triggered in any part of your code and combined with the on function.
Here are the two types of functions you can use:
- on — triggered when a specific action occurs
- call — can be triggered in any part of your code
If you haven't implemented the chat widget yet, follow the step-by-step tutorial provided to do so.
Prerequisites
To get started with building a chatbot, you'll need to meet some prerequisites. You'll need a React.js development environment, which is a must-have for any project that involves building a chatbot.
To access the open LLMs (Large Language Models) that power our chatbot, you'll also need to install @xenova/transformers. This will give you the tools you need to create a chatbot that can understand and respond to user input.
Here are the specific prerequisites you'll need to get started:
- React.js development environment
- @xenova/transformers
On Ready
The onReady callback function is a crucial part of getting started with the chat widget. It's invoked when the chat widget is loaded and ready to use.
This callback function is called immediately when the chat widget has already been loaded, so you can start using it right away.
Building a Bot
To build a chatbot, you'll need to add specific hooks to track the question and answer input/output.
We'll be using plain JavaScript to create our chatbot, which makes it accessible and easy to understand.
To get a better understanding of the code base, you can check out the article's repository on Github.
Building A Bot
Building a Bot is a crucial step in creating a conversational interface, and it starts with designing a solid architecture. We will also add the following hooks to track the question & answer I/O.
To build a chatbot, you'll need to create a system that can understand and respond to user input. By following the steps in this article, you can build a chatbot with plain JavaScript. For a better understanding and overview of the code base of this article, you can check it out on Github.
To get started, you'll need to plan out the functionality of your chatbot. This includes deciding what kind of questions it will answer and how it will respond to user input.
Create Arrays
To create arrays for your bot, start by envisioning the user's text input and the corresponding chatbot responses. This will help you determine the structure of your arrays.
You'll need to create arrays of arrays, where the inner arrays contain utterances and answers. For example, utterances[0] will match with answers[0], and so on. This is a basic way to organize your chatbot's responses.
Alternatives arrays are also necessary for situations where the chatbot can't understand the user's message. These arrays will provide a default response for the user.
The indexes of each array should be carefully lined up to ensure that the user's text is matched with the correct response. This might take some trial and error to get right, but it's worth the effort.
By creating these arrays, you'll have a solid foundation for your chatbot's responses. This will make it easier to update the DOM and add new features to your bot.
Creating User Responses
To create user responses, we need to have a set of arrays that include possible user texts and another array of appropriate chatbot responses. This is done by creating an alternate set of arrays for a situation where the chatbot cannot understand the message being sent by the user.
These arrays should be lined up in a way that the user text that matches an option at userTexts[0] will respond with an option from botReplies[0], and so on. The alternatives array is for those input values that do not match in the first array.
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Here's an example of how these arrays can be structured:
By having these arrays in place, we can then create a function that compares the user's input with the arrays and returns a suitable reply. This is where the magic of chatbot programming happens!
Programming Bot Responses
To create a chatbot that responds to user input, we need to work on the bot responses based on triggers (user text). We'll create arrays of arrays that include utterances and the answers, keeping them brief for simplicity.
The indexes of each array line up, so the user text that matches an option at utterances[0] will respond with an option from answers[0], and so on. This is how a basic chatbot works under the hood.
The alternatives array is for input values that don't match in the first array. We'll use it to provide a suitable reply or an alternate reply if we get a user input that doesn't match our userTexts array.
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To make the conversation render on the webpage, we must create a function addChatEntry(). This function will be called by the output function after comparing the arrays.
Here's a simple example of how the triggers and responses look:
- userTexts = ['hi', 'hello', 'goodbye']
- botReplies = ['hey!', 'welcome!', 'farewell!']
We'll create a function that compares these arrays and calls the addChatEntry() function to make the conversation render on the webpage.
The chatbot function still needs an IF/ELSE statement to compare and match our arrays for a suitable reply or produce an alternate reply if we get a user input that doesn't match our userTexts array.
We have to match the user and chatbot arrays to make it look like a conversation between a user and the chatbot. We'll loop through the index of the userTexts array and apply another loop to check if our user's input text matches any of the responses at that particular index.
Handling User Input
You can build a chatbot with plain JavaScript by following the steps in this article, and for a better understanding, check out the code base on Github.
To make our chatbot understand the user's input, we need to apply some JavaScript methods. These include converting the input values to lowercase using toLowerCase(), removing non-word/space characters and digits using Regex and replace(), and trimming trailing whitespaces using trim().
Here are the specific methods used to edit user text input:
- toLowerCase() - Converting the input values to lowercase.
- Regex and replace() - This removes a non word/space character and digit.
- trim() - To trim trailing whitespaces.
By applying these methods, we can ensure that the user's input is processed correctly and the chatbot can understand the message sent by the user.
Updating the DOM
Updating the DOM is crucial for creating a seamless chat experience. It allows us to dynamically update the user interface with new messages from both the bot and the user.
To update the DOM, you can use the setTimeout function to set a time delay, making it seem like the bot is thinking for a few seconds before responding. This is demonstrated in the code example where a two-second delay is set.
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The .appendChild method is used to create a thread of messages by updating the user and chatbot field every time a message is sent. This is achieved by appending new messages to the existing list of messages.
Here's an example of how this can be implemented:
- Message 1 from User
- Message 2 from Bot
- Message 3 from User
- Message 4 from Bot
In this example, new messages are appended to the existing list, creating a thread of messages that can be easily updated in real-time.
API and Configuration
The JS API for chat bot is quite powerful. You can use it to control the chat window behavior, deciding whether the widget should be opened, closed, hidden, or visible.
For instance, you can hide the widget by default and show it only when a specific button on the page is clicked. This level of customization is really useful for a seamless user experience.
Step 2: Configure Transformers.js
In Step 2, we need to configure Transformers.js to ensure it runs smoothly with our API. This involves loading and running models separately from the main thread to avoid computational intensity.
To achieve this, we'll use a web worker, which is a great way to offload tasks from the main thread. We'll create a file called worker.js to support this.
A web worker is a script that runs in the background, allowing us to perform tasks without blocking the main thread. This is particularly useful for computationally intensive tasks like ML inference.
We'll create a file called worker.js to run our models. This file will be responsible for handling the heavy lifting of our API.
Here's a quick rundown of the steps to create the worker.js file:
- Create a new file called worker.js.
- Use a web worker to load and run models separately from the main thread.
What Is API
APIs allow you to control specific behaviors in your application or website.
For instance, the ChatBot Chat Widget API lets you control the chat window's visibility, so you can hide it by default and only show it when a specific button is clicked.
APIs can be used to customize and extend the functionality of your application or website.
The JS API, in particular, enables you to control the chat widget's behavior, such as opening, closing, hiding, or making it visible.
For another approach, see: Share Chat Application
Event Handling
Event handling is a crucial aspect of building a chat bot in JavaScript.
You can use the KeyboardEvent object to determine which key was pressed, such as the Enter button, which has a Keycode of 13.
To react to specific events, like when the chat widget is loaded, you can use callbacks. For instance, you can maximize the chat widget automatically when it's ready to use.
Remember to clear or reset the input field after sending a message, using .value = "" or .reset() if it's a form tag.
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Keyboard Event Code
Keyboard events can be triggered by specific keys on the keyboard, such as the Enter button, which has a Keycode of 13.
The code snippet above shows how to check the Keycode of a keyboard event using e.code === "Enter". This is a direct assignment of the Keycode 13 to the Enter button.
To get more information about Keycodes, you can read up on the KeyboardEvent object.
Clearing or resetting the input field after sending a message is crucial, and can be achieved by setting the value to an empty string, .value = "".
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Callbacks
Callbacks are triggered when a specific event occurs, allowing you to react to these events dynamically.
This means you can create automated responses to certain events, like maximizing a chat widget once it's loaded and ready to use.
Callbacks can be used to react to various events, not just the chat widget example mentioned earlier.
By using callbacks, you can create more interactive and engaging user experiences.
For instance, a callback can be triggered when a user completes a task, allowing you to display a congratulatory message or reward them in some way.
Callbacks are a powerful tool for creating dynamic and responsive applications.
Take a look at this: React Chat Bot
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