Build Your Own Chatbot using Java

Table of Contents

• Deploy Lex bot and Alexa backend function using Java
• JSON Document
• Different platforms
  • Lex
  • Twilio/SMS
  • Facebook
  • Slack
  • Alexa
  • Web
  • Mobile
• Logging using Amazon CloudWatch
• Monitoring using AWS X-Ray
• How to talk to the chatbot?

This repository explains how to create a Star Wars chatbot using Amazon Lex and Java.

The users can interact with this chatbot using the following means:

1. Voice (Alexa, Phone/Call)

2. Text (Phone/SMS, Facebook Messenger, Slack)

Here are the key components of architecture:

Deploy Lex bot and Alexa backend function using Java

You need to install org.sample.aws.lex:lex-java:0.2 dependency as explained at https://github.com/arun-gupta/lex-java#install-jar-locally before building this project.

mvn -f starwars-chatbot/pom.xml clean package install

ARN for Alexa function: aws lambda get-function --function-name StarWarsChatbot --region us-east-1 | jq .Configuration.FunctionArn

Note	Getting Started with Alexa skill using Java is explained at https://github.com/arun-gupta/alexa-skill-java.

JSON Document

Data is loaded as JSON documents in DynamoDB. Here is a sample JSON document:

{
  "dead": true,
  "force-sensitive": true,
  "force-side": "light",
  "id": 1,
  "lightsaber": "green",
  "planet": "Dagobah",
  "quotes": [
    "When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.",
    "Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is",
    "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack",
    "That is why you fail.",
    "Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things.",
    "Judge me by my size, do you?",
    "Fear is the path to the dark side",
    "Wars not make one great",
    "Do, or do not. There is no try",
    "Size matters not",
    "The dark side clouds everything",
    "Impossible to see the future is",
    "Clear your mind must be",
    "Much to learn you still have ... my old padawan"
  ],
  "weapon": "lightsaber",
  "whoami": "Yoda"
}

Create Global Secondary Index on whoami

Different platforms

Lex

http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lex/latest/dg/using-lambda.html

Twilio/SMS

1. Send a message to 408-913-9827 as shown below:

Details: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lex/latest/dg/twilio-bot-association.html

Facebook

1. Like https://www.facebook.com/Star-Wars-Chatbot-124902658243108/

2. From http://messenger.com, send a message to this page as shown below:

Details: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/lex/latest/dg/fb-bot-association.html

Slack

1. Get yourself invited: https://join.slack.com/t/starwarschatbot/shared_invite/MjM4OTU2MTEwMTE0LTE1MDUwOTgzMzItYzZmMjFhYTNiNA

2. DM with the app star_wars_chatbot and ask questions as shown below:

Details: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lex/latest/dg/slack-bot-association.html

Alexa

1. Test using http://echosim.io or Alexa

Web

TODO

Mobile

TODO

Logging using Amazon CloudWatch

Monitoring using AWS X-Ray

TODO

How to talk to the chatbot?

Use phrase Ask Star Wars for Alexa, otherwise just the text as is. The list of questions is at https://github.com/arun-gupta/chatbot/wiki/Typical-Questions.