Generalized random responder (replacing dag bot)

[mgwalker]

Adds a generalized, configurable script to autorespond to different triggers. Removes the specific dag bot and replaces it with a configuration for the new autoresponder script. Moves dag facts to another repo. This paves the way for cat bot to be cool like dag bot.

Configuration

In config/slack-random-response.json is an array of responses. A response is defined with an object that looks like this:

{
  botName: "Dag Bot",
  defaultEmoji: ":dog:",
  trigger: "d(o|a)g facts?",
  responseList: [],
  responseUrl: "url"
}

property	description
botName	optional If provided, the name the bot should use when serving this response.
defaultEmoji	optional If provided, the emoji the bot should use as its avatar when serving this response.
trigger	A string that will be turned into a regex, used to specify what triggers the response. This can also be an array of regex strings.
responseList	An array of response items (describe below). The bot will select one at random to reply with. Either responseList or responseUrl is required. If both are provided, only responseList is used.
responseUrl	The URL to a JSON file containing an array of response items. The bot will select one at random to reply with. Either responseList or responseUrl is required. If both are provided, only responseList is used.

Response items

Strings

A response item can be a string or an object. If the response item is a string and it begins with :emoji-name:, then the specified emoji will be used as the bot's avatar for the response, and only the text after :emoji-name: will be sent as the response. E.g., ":cat: Cats are animals" produces

If it doesn't begin with an emoji, the bot will use the defautlEmoji from the config, or else it won't specify an avatar and will use whatever was configured in Slack.

Objects

Response items can also be objects like this:

{
  name: "bot name",
  emoji: ":emoji:",
  text: "response text"
}

property	description
name	optional If set, the bot name to use when responding. If the bot config also includes a botName property, they are combined into name (botName)
emoji	optional If set, the emoji to use as the bot's avatar for this response.
text	required The text to respond with.

E.g.,

{
  name: "Dog in Disguise",
  emoji: ":dog:",
  text: "I am not a cat"

on a config with botName set to "Kitty Bot" produces:

[tbaxter-18f]

I don't think I'm clear on the 5 minutes caching here. What are we doing?

[mgwalker]

Comments incoming, but the idea is not to make the network hit on every single response. Instead, it caches off the network result for five minutes before re-refetching it.

[tbaxter-18f]

So does that mean if call dag fact twice in a five minute window it'll give the same response, or that it only fetches the json every 5 max?

[mgwalker]

The latter. You'll still get a random response, but it'll only fetch the JSON every five minutes.

[tbaxter-18f]

Looks great, and thanks for the clarifications, Greg