Authoring Bot Extensions

The current framework version is 2.7, please read the Framework Overview

Quick reference: Functions for Plugin and Bot Developers

The bot supports three kinds of "extensions": spawns, plugins and sinks:

• spawns are the newest and easiest way extend bot functionality. By using the spawn plugin, the bot will execute standalone programs that feed their data back into the hangout or into a private 1:1 conversation with the user. This program runs asynchronously so (unlike plugins) the bot will not hang waiting for the command to complete. This is the best way to implement portable "simple" plugins that do not require access to the bot internals. It allows authors to develop, debug, and maintain portable and completely independent extensions to hangoutsbot. Use the Spawn interface unless you need the more advanced functionality in the plugins interface. New plugin submissions that could, but do not, use the spawn API may be rejected.

• plugins extend bot functionality and is one of the two recommended ways to develop portable code that can be easily shared with other developers

  • Article: [ ver >= 2.7 ] Access Control with Tags
  • Developer Article: Plugin Authoring for 2.4 and above
    • Developer Article: Migrating older plugins for 2.4 and above
  • Some simple plugins can be used as code references:
    • chance plugin: adding simple commands and custom triggers:

      /bot diceroll
      /bot coinflip
      /me rolls dice
      /me flips a coin
      

    • easteregg plugin: adding commands with variable amounts of parameters:

      /bot easteregg <param1> <param2> ...
      

    • _example_memory.py plugin: reading and writing user and conversation memory
    • _example_printrenames plugin: watching group chat renames
    • _example_watchmembers plugin: monitoring users joining and leaving chat
    • _unittest_statusevents plugin: monitoring user typing and watermark (last read) update
    • humor_hangoutcalls plugin: detecting start and end of video/voice call
  • More advanced examples:
    • build plugins that communicate with other web-based services such as the [ver=2.x.x] webbridge_hubot / [ver>=3.0.0] hubot plugin, which essentially extends hangoutsbot with HUBOT commands
    • using plugins.start_asyncio_task() to start a long-running periodic process such as updating the bot's watermark in the BotAlive Plugin
    • [ver>=3.0.0] using the upgraded webbridge class as a base for building chatbridge-aware plugins for message relays between hangouts and third-party chat platforms, such as telesync and slackrtm
    • [ver>=3.0.0] extending the command argument preprocessor to add new shortcuts when resolving conversation and user IDs

• sinks (a.k.a. receivers/listeners), process web requests from external sources

  • Developer Article: Sinks for 2.4 and above
  • Article: Google Scripts Sink (source code)
  • Article: GitHub Web Hook Sink (source code)
  • Article: GitLab Web Hook Sink (source code)

Obsolete/Deprecated

These items are preserved for record-keeping purposes.

• sinks
  • [OBSOLETE/REMOVED] source code: interbot-messaging (receive replies from Hubot)(advanced)
• hooks provide low-level access to bot events such as when a chat is received, renamed, etc.
  • hooks are DEPRECATED - recommend using plugins instead as plugins are more flexible and portable; with identical or even better functionality
  • examples/references:
    • [hooks introduction for developers] (https://github.com/hangoutsbot/hangoutsbot/wiki/Hooks)
    • [OBSOLETE/REMOVED] source code: [log all chat events into file] (https://github.com/hangoutsbot/hangoutsbot/blob/master/hangupsbot/hooks/chatlogger/writer.py)
    • [OBSOLETE/REMOVED] source code: [interbot-messaging (sends chats to Hubot)] (https://github.com/hangoutsbot/hangoutsbot/blob/master/hangupsbot/hooks/hubotsend/post.py) (advanced)