Ginger AI Chatbot

A responsive, animated AI chatbot powered by IBM Watson Assistant, built with Flask (Python), MongoDB, and a modern HTML/JS/CSS frontend.

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Features

• Natural conversation using IBM Watson Assistant through a web interface
• Chat history storage per session using MongoDB
• Animated background (Canvas stars effect)
• Responsive, modern UI
• One-click session reset (clear chat)
• Easy deployment via Flask

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Technologies Used

• Python (Flask) — backend API
• IBM Watson Assistant — AI-powered conversation
• MongoDB — message history per session
• HTML/CSS/JS — custom frontend interface and effects

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+
• Pip
• MongoDB Atlas or local MongoDB instance
• IBM Cloud account with Watson Assistant setup

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/gitgyana/ginger.git
cd ginger

2. Create and activate a virtual environment (optional but recommended)

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Create credentials.py Add your API keys and MongoDB URL:

api_key = "YOUR_IBM_WATSON_API_KEY"
assistant_id = "YOUR_IBM_WATSON_ASSISTANT_ID"
assistant_url = "YOUR_WATSON_ASSISTANT_URL"
mongodb_url = "YOUR_MONGODB_CONNECTION_STRING"

5. Start MongoDB (if using local setup).
6. Run the Flask app

python app.py

The app by default runs on http://0.0.0.0:5000. 7. Visit in Browser Open http://localhost:5000/ to interact with your chatbot.

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Usage

• Type a message in the chatbox and hit Send or press Enter.
• Click the trash/reset icon to clear chat and start a new conversation session.
• Each new session is also recorded in MongoDB for history.

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File Structure

ginger-ai-chatbot/
│
├── app.py             # Flask backend & IBM Watson API
├── credentials.py     # Your secret credentials (not included here)
├── templates/
│   └── index.html     # Main HTML page
├── static/
│   ├── script.js      # Frontend JS (chat logic + canvas effect)
│   └── style.css      # Main Stylesheet
├── requirements.txt   # Python requirements
├── README.md

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Customization

• Chatbot Tone & Model: Adjust logic in app.py and your Watson Assistant instance as needed.
• UI: Edit style.css and HTML structure for theming or layout changes.
• Effects: The starfield in script.js can be tweaked or replaced.

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FAQ

Q: "Oops! Something went wrong. ... IBM's enterprise servers..." appears. A: This appears when the backend Watson API fails or has expired. Double-check your API keys/limits and ensure your IBM Watson Assistant instance is active.

Q: How is MongoDB used? A: Each new Watson Assistant session gets its own collection in MongoDB, where user/assistant message pairs are stored.

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Credits

• IBM Watson Assistant
• Flask
• MongoDB
• Poppins Font
• Starfield animation based on open web code snippets

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Happy chatting! 🤖

Please remember to secure your API credentials! Never commit credentials.py or other secrets to public repositories.

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