rocketchat-sdk-bot.md

Run a Rocket.Chat SDK Bot

This bot is a simple example of how you can use Rocket.Chat JS SDK methods directly. It is extremely basic and does not handle errors, different message types, server resets and other production situations.

Quick start guide

Rocket.Chat Bot is a Node.js package and works with Node and npm.

Navigate to the folder where you want to work with the bot and proceed with the following steps:

1. install Rocket.Chat SDK package

npm init -y
npm install @rocket.chat/sdk

2. create bot files

To proceed with the simplest setup, you need to create two files: the first one will be responsible for the working logic of the bot. Another one will contain a map with the responses.

1. create a server.js file with the following content:

const { driver } = require('@rocket.chat/sdk');
const respmap  = require('./reply');

// Environment Setup
const HOST = '<ROCKETCHAT HOST>';
const USER = '<BOT USER NAME>';
const PASS = '<BOT USER PASS>';
const BOTNAME = '<ROCKET CHAT BOT ALIAS>';
const SSL = '<SSL USAGE>';
const ROOMS = ['<ROCKETCHAT CHANNEL>'];
var myUserId;

// Bot configuration
const runbot = async () => {
    const conn = await driver.connect({ host: HOST, useSsl: SSL })
    myUserId = await driver.login({ username: USER, password: PASS });
    const roomsJoined = await driver.joinRooms( ROOMS );
    console.log('joined rooms');

    const subscribed = await driver.subscribeToMessages();
    console.log('subscribed');

    const msgloop = await driver.reactToMessages( processMessages );
    console.log('connected and waiting for messages');

    const sent = await driver.sendToRoom( BOTNAME + ' is listening ...', ROOMS[0]);
    console.log('Greeting message sent');
}

// Process messages
const processMessages = async(err, message, messageOptions) => {
if (!err) {
    if (message.u._id === myUserId) return;
    const roomname = await driver.getRoomName(message.rid);

    console.log('got message ' + message.msg)
    var response;
    if (message.msg in respmap) {
        response = respmap[message.msg];
    }
    const sentmsg = await driver.sendToRoomId(response, message.rid)
    }
}

runbot()

NOTE: Adjust the Environment Setup section content to fit your server and user credentials.

Make sure <BOT USER NAME> has a BOT role on the server. For more information on how to create a bot user please refer to this page.

1. create a reply.js file with the following content:

const respmap = {
    "hi" : "hey",
    "u da bot" : "no, YOU da bot",
    "no u da bot" : "Come'on - YOU DA BOT!!",
    "I give up" : "ok. silly human :rolleyes:"
};

module.exports = respmap;

3. run the bot

node server.js

After executing the last command, Rocket.Chat SDK bot will try to connect to the Rocket.Chat instance and then will listen to messages in general room:

$ node server.js
[connect] Connecting { username: 'username',
  password: 'pass',
  ldap: false,
  host: 'rocket.chat.host',
  useSsl: true,
  timeout: 20000,
  rooms: [],
  allPublic: false,
  dm: false,
  livechat: false,
  edited: false,
  integrationId: 'js.SDK',
  roomCacheMaxSize: 10,
  roomCacheMaxAge: 300000,
  dmCacheMaxSize: 10,
  dmCacheMaxAge: 100000 }
[connect] Connected
[login] Logging in botUser
[getRoomIdByNameOrId] Calling (caching): general
[getRoomIdByNameOrId] Success: "GENERAL"
[joinRoom] Calling (async): ["GENERAL"]
[joinRoom] Success
joined rooms
[subscribe] Preparing subscription: stream-room-messages: __my_messages__
[subscribe] Stream ready: 4
subscribed
[reactive] Listening for change events in collection stream-room-messages
connected and waiting for messages
[getRoomIdByNameOrId] Calling (cached): general
[getRoomIdByNameOrId] Success: "GENERAL"
[sendMessage] Calling (async): [{"msg":"Rocket Chat BOT is listening ...","bot":{"i":"js.SDK"},"rid":"GENERAL"}]
[sendMessage] Success: {"msg":"Rocket Chat BOT is listening ...","bot":{"i":"js.SDK"},"rid":"GENERAL","ts":{"$date":1573598821912},"u":{"_id":"GDJn6Exf9LpK2Pp5n","username":"botUser"},"mentions":[],"channels":[],"_updatedAt":{"$date":1573598821920},"_id":"6yTcbcNKuMDBdPsFc"}
Greeting message sent
[received] Message in room GENERAL

4. talk to your bot

On the server, login as a regular user (not the BOT user), go to general room, and talk to your newly created bot: