Intercepting Conversation answer to query database

[clalevee]

I'm trying to develop a bot using botkit-middleware-watson for FB messenger.
Dialog Conversation <-> Messenger runs good.

But now I want to intercept answer from Watson Conversation (event middleware.after ?), query a DB and answer directly to Conversation without using Messenger. Conversation will then interpret/format and answer to the user, using data retrieved from DB.

So my program have to (in event middleware.after ?)

• receive conversationResponse
• query DB, and get answer (son)
• update Conversation Payload
• answer to Conversation

Do you have any idea ?

[stevenoh93]

You can do this in the after callback as you said, but you'll have to call Conversation on your own.

middleware.after = function(message, conversationResponse, callback) {
    // Call db
    mydb.makeQuery(queryString, function(result) {
        payload.context.dataToChange = result;
        conversation.message(payload, function (err, response) {
            callback(null, response);
        });
    });
}

[clalevee]

here is the test I did :

middleware.after = function(message, conversationResponse, callback) {
    
   if (conversationResponse.context) {
         conversation.message({
              workspace_id: process.env.WORKSPACE_ID,
              input: {'text': 'Test message'},
              context: conversationResponse.context
         }, function (err, response) {
               if (err)
                  console.log('error:', err);
               else
                  console.log(JSON.stringify(response, null, 2));
               callback(null, response);
         });
   }
   else callback(null, conversationResponse);

} 

But, I don't receive any answer from Conversation or see log message in console...
Can conversation (from "conversation.message" function) be used outside of botkit middleware ?

[stevenoh93]

Sorry, should've said middleware.conversation. Give that a try and let us know if that works.

[clalevee]

It's better, it nearly works, I can call Conversation and receive a new payload
My new code

 middleware.conversation.message({
                          workspace_id: process.env.WORKSPACE_ID,
                          input: {'text': 'SQL100'},
                          context: conversationResponse.context
                     }, function (err, response) {
                           if (err)
                              console.log('error:', err);
                           else {
                             console.log("Generated anwser ");
                             console.log(response);
                             callback(null, response);
                           }
 });

But, even if response seems good ( console.log(response) ), the callback doesn't generate an answer to Messenger.

[clalevee]

[INFO]
This app is running on Bluemix.
To be able to detect that conversation.message is not defined, I had to add Try-Catch.

[stevenoh93]

Is there no response coming back on Messenger or are you getting something outdated?

If you want to change the response that's being sent back to Messenger, you have to update the message object passed in as a parameter. So right before the callback, you'd want to do this:

message.watsonData = response;

[clalevee]

I was something outdated..
So, I added message.watsonData = response before callback as mentioned and it works !!

middleware.conversation.message({
                          workspace_id: process.env.WORKSPACE_ID,
                          input: {'text': 'SQL100'},
                          context: conversationResponse.context
                     }, function (err, response) {
                           if (err) {
                              console.log('error:', err);
                              ....
                            }
                           else {
                             console.log("Generated anwser ");
                             console.log(response);
                             message.watsonData = response;
                             callback(null, response);
                           }
 });

Now, i just have to really call DB.
Thx for your rapid and high quality assistance.