README

This README documents steps are necessary to get the application up and running.

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Purpose

• Setup local debugging for Alexa skill
  • No need to upload .zip files to lambda
  • Test without talking to any Alexa devices
  • Local access to Amazon CloudWatch
• Version 1.0

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Project Structure

• speechAssets
  • IntentSchema.json
  • interaction-model.json
  • SampleUtterances.txt
• src
  • index.js
• test
  • context.json
  • input.json - Used to manage how we do testing locally. Ex: Intents, language, change userID so information will persist when using DB.
  • main.js
• credentials.csv - contains info regarding Access key ID and Secret access key for the user (admin)
• .vscode (hidden)
  • launch.json -

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Setup Instruction

1. Open project in Visual Studio Code
2. cd into /src and npm install
3. cd into /test and ln -s ../src/node_modules/ node_modules This will create a symbolic link
4. Install AWS CLI using pip
5. In command line run AWS configure Copy info from credentials.csv
6. Start testing by adding breakpoints and hitting play. Use developer console.
   • On index.js put a breakpoint before speechOutput to check the JSON file that is returned. Alexa would speak whatever that goes betwenn ... .

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Extra

• Code that pertains to local debugging is marked with // IMP

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Sources

• Alexa Skill
• Lambda
• IAM
• DynamoDB

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Note to Self

• Create a symbolic link from the modules in /src into /test directory. Otherwise when we try to debug we won't find modules in our /test directory and it will crash. This is a better option instead of duplication the modules in two seperate directories (running npm twice). Try ls -l and you will see node_modules -> ../src/node_modules/ which means we have correctly linked the /test directory to node_modules in /src directory.

Configure AWS/IAM

• IAM - used to create group user role and attach policies
  • Group name - localAlexaDebug
    • Attached policies - AmazonDynamoDBFullAccess & CloudWatchLogsFullAccess
  • User name - admin
    • This user (admin) is added to the group (localAlexaDebug) so he can get access to the attaches policies locally
    • After creating user we have access to .csv file. Download this file as it has info regarding Access key ID and Secret access key
  • Role name - localAlexaDebug (Same as Group name)
    • Role is connected to AWS Lambda
    • Attach same policies as the group
    • Click tole name and edit trust relationship. After "Service" add a comma and create a property "AWS" and Paste the value from User ARN

Attach Code to IAM

• Go to /test/main.js Paste the Role ARN here
• Configure AWS to be able to use the user (admin) that we created to assume the role that we added in /test/main.js
• In command line run AWS configure Copy info from credentials.csv

Setup Debug

1. Open project in Visual Studio Code text editor. Click Debug icon and click configure button. This will automatically setup by opening launch.json file (Select environment as Node.js)
2. This will create a hidden .vscode directory in the main project directory and will contain launch.json file
3. Override this data