README.md
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<!-- MarkdownTOC -->
- [Overview](#overview)
- [Requirements](#requirements)
- [Features](#features)
- [Demo](#demo)
- [The Name](#the-name)
- [Concepts](#concepts)
- [Create Your Own Slackscot](#create-your-own-slackscot)
- [Assembling the Parts and Bringing Your `slackscot` to Life](#assembling-the-parts-and-bringing-your-slackscot-to-life)
- [Configuration Example](#configuration-example)
- [Creating Your Own Plugins](#creating-your-own-plugins)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [Open-telemetry integration](#open-telemetry-integration)
- [Some Credits](#some-credits)
<!-- /MarkdownTOC -->
# Overview
`Slackscot` is a [slack](https://slack.com) `bot` core written in [Go](golang.org).
Think of it as the assembly kit to making your own friendly `slack` `bot`. It comes
with a set of plugins you might enjoy and a friendly `API` for you to realize
your ambitious dreams (if you dreams include this sort of thing).
# Requirements
`Go 1.11` or above is required, mostly for [go module support](https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/Modules).
# Features
* Support for reactions to message updates. `slackscot` does the following:
* Keeps track of plugin action responses and the message that triggered
them
* On message updates:
1. Update responses for each triggered action
2. Delete responses that aren't triggering anymore (or result in
errors during the message update)
* On deletion of triggering messages, responses are also deleted
* *Limitation*: Sending a `message` automatically splits it into
multiple slack messages when it's too long. When updating messages,
this spitting doesn't happen and results in an `message too long`
error. Effectively, the last message in the initial response might get
`deleted` as a result. Handling of this could be better but that is
the current limitation 😕
* Support for threaded replies to user message with option to also
`broadcast` on channels (disabled by `default`).
See [configuration example](#configuration-example) below where
both are enabled.
* Plugin actions may also explicitely reply in threads with/without
broadcasting via [AnswerOption](answer.go)
* Concurrent processing of unrelated messages with guarantees of proper
ordering of message updates/deletions
* Simple extensible storage `API` for persistence in two flavors:
`StringStorer` and `BytesStorer`. Both are basic `key:value` maps.
A default file-based implementation is provided backed by
[leveldb](https://github.com/syndtr/goleveldb)
* Implementation of `StringStorer` backed by
[Google Cloud Datastore](https://cloud.google.com/datastore/docs/reference/libraries).
See [datastoredb's godoc](https://godoc.org/github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot/store/datastoredb)
for documentation, usage and example.
* In-memory implementation of `StringStorer` wrapping any `StringStorer` implementation
to offer low-latency and potentially cost-saving storage implementation well-suited for
small datasets. Plays well with cloud storage like the
[datastoredb]((https://godoc.org/github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot/store/datastoredb)
See [inmemorydb's godoc](https://godoc.org/github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot/store/inmemorydb)
for documentation, usage and example.
* Support for various configuration sources/formats via
[viper](https://github.com/spf13/viper)
* Support for various ways to implement functionality:
1. `scheduled actions`: run something every second, minute, hour, week.
[Oh Monday](plugins/ohmonday.go) is a plugin that demos this by
sending a `Monday` greeting every Monday at 10am (or the time you
configure it to).
2. `commands`: respond to a _command_ directed at your `slackscot`. That
means something like `@slackscot help` or a direct message `help`
sent to `slackscot`.
3. `hear actions` (aka "listeners"): actions that evaluated for a match
on every message that `slackscot` hears. You'll want to make sure
your `Match` function isn't too heavy. An example is the "famous"
[finger quoter plugin](plugins/fingerquoter.go)
* *Experimental and subject to change*:
Testing functions to help validate plugin action behavior (see example in
[triggerer_test.go](plugins/triggerer_test.go)). Testing functions
are found in
[assertplugin](https://godoc.org/github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot/test/assertplugin) and
[assertanswer](https://godoc.org/github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot/test/assertanswer)
* Built-in `help` plugin supporting a decently formatted help message
as a command listing all plugins' actions. If you'd like some actions
to not be shown in the help, you can set `Hidden` to `true` in
its `ActionDefinition` (especially useful for `hear actions`)
* The plugin interface as a logical grouping of one or many `commands` and
`hear actions` and/or `scheduled actions`
* Support for injected services providing plugins easy access to an optionally caching
`user info` and a `logger`.
# Demo
* `slackscot` deleting a triggered reaction after seeing a message updated
that caused the first action to *not* trigger anymore and a new action
to now trigger (it makes sense when you see it)
* `slackscot` updating a triggered reaction after seeing a triggering message
being updated
* `slackscot` deleting a reaction after seeing the triggering message being
deleted
* `slackscot` threaded replies enabled (with `broadcast => on`)
# The Name
The first concrete bot implementation using this code was
[youppi](https://github.com/alexandre-normand/youppi), named after the
[great mascot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youppi!) of the Montreal Expos
and, when the Expos left Montreal, the Montreal Canadiens.
`Slackscot` is a variation on the expected theme of *slackbot* with the
implication that this is the core to *more* than just a regular `bot`.
You know, a friendly company *mascot* that hangs out on your `slack`.
# Concepts
* `Commands`: commands are well-defined actions with a format. `Slackscot`
handles all direct messages as implicit commands as well as
`@mention <command>` on channels. Responses to commands are directed
to the person who invoked it.
* `Hear actions`: those are listeners that can potentially match on any
message sent on channels that `slackscot` is a member of. This can
include actions that will randomly generate a response. Note that
responses are not automatically directed to the person who authored
the message triggering the response (although an implementation is
free to use the user id of the triggering message if desired).
# Create Your Own Slackscot
`Slackscot` provides the pieces to make your mascot but you'll have to
assemble them for him/her to come alive. The easiest to get started is
to look at a real example: [youppi](https://github.com/alexandre-normand/youppi).
The [godoc](https://godoc.org/github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot) is also a
good reference especially if you're looking to implement something like a
new implementation of the [storer interfaces](https://godoc.org/github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot/store).
## Assembling the Parts and Bringing Your `slackscot` to Life
Here's an abbreviated example of how [youppi](https://github.com/alexandre-normand/youppi)
[does it](https://github.com/alexandre-normand/youppi/blob/master/youppi.go):
```go
package main
import (
"github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot"
"github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot/config"
"github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot/plugins"
"github.com/alexandre-normand/slackscot/store"
"github.com/spf13/viper"
"gopkg.in/alecthomas/kingpin.v2"
"log"
"os"
"io"
)
const (
name = "youppi"
)
func main() {
kingpin.Version(VERSION)
kingpin.Parse()
// TODO: initialize storer implementations required by plugins and do any other initialization
// required
...
// This is the where we create youppi with all of its plugins
youppi, err := slackscot.NewBot(name, v, options...).
WithPlugin(plugins.NewKarma(karmaStorer)).
WithPlugin(plugins.NewTriggerer(triggererStorer)).
WithConfigurablePluginErr(plugins.FingerQuoterPluginName, func(conf *config.PluginConfig) (p *slackscot.Plugin, err error) { return plugins.NewFingerQuoter(conf) }).
WithConfigurablePluginCloserErr(plugins.EmojiBannerPluginName, func(conf *config.PluginConfig) (c io.Closer, p *slackscot.Plugin, err error) {
return plugins.NewEmojiBannerMaker(conf)
}).
WithConfigurablePluginErr(plugins.OhMondayPluginName, func(conf *config.PluginConfig) (p *slackscot.Plugin, err error) { return plugins.NewOhMonday(conf) }).
WithPlugin(plugins.NewVersionner(name, version)).
Build()
defer youppi.Close()
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
err = youppi.Run()
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
}
```
## Configuration Example
You'll also need to define your configuration for the `core`, used
built-in plugins and any configuration required by your own custom plugins
(not shown here). `Slackscot` uses
[viper](https://github.com/spf13/viper) for loading configuration
which means that you are free to use a different file format
(`yaml`, `toml`, `env variables`, etc.) as desired.
```json
{
"token": "your-slack-bot-token",
"debug": false,
"responseCacheSize": 5000,
"userInfoCacheSize": 0,
"maxAgeHandledMessages": 86400,
"timeLocation": "America/Los_Angeles",
"storagePath": "/your-path-to-bot-home",
"replyBehavior": {
"threadedReplies": true,
"broadcastThreadedReplies": true
},
"plugins": {
"ohMonday": {
"channelIDs": ["slackChannelId"]
},
"fingerQuoter": {
"frequency": "100",
"channelIDs": []
},
"emojiBanner": {
"figletFontUrl": "http://www.figlet.org/fonts/banner.flf"
}
}
}
```
## Creating Your Own Plugins
It might be best to look at examples in this repo to guide you through it:
* The simplest plugin with a single `command` is the [versioner](plugins/versioner.go)
* One example of `scheduled actions` is [oh monday](plugins/ohmonday.go)
* One example of a mix of `hear actions` / `commands` that also uses the
`store` api for persistence is the [karma](plugins/karma.go)
# Contributing
1. Fork it (preferrably, outside the `GOPATH` as per the new
[go modules guidelines](https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/Modules#how-to-install-and-activate-module-support))
2. Make your changes, commit them (don't forget to `go build ./...` and
`go test ./...`) and push your branch to your fork
3. Open a PR and fill in the template (you don't have to but I'd appreciate context)
4. Check the `code climate` and `travis` PR builds. You might have to fix things and
there's no shame if you do. I probably won't merge something that doesn't pass
`CI` build but I'm willing to help to get it to pass 🖖.
## Open-telemetry integration
`Slackscot` now supports integration with [opentelemetry](https://opentelemetry.io/). To aid with the addition
of new metrics, you can find a [gowrap](https://github.com/hexdigest/gowrap) template [here](./opentelemetry.template).
To add a metrics to a new interface, you can do something like
```bash
gowrap gen -p . -i <interfaceName> -t opentelemetry.template -o <interfaceName>metrics.go
```
When updating the [template](./opentelemetry.template), you should consider running `go generate` in order to refresh
the already generated files with the template changes.
# Some Credits
`slackscot` uses [Norberto Lopes](https://github.com/nlopes)'s
[Slack API Integration](https://github.com/nlopes/slack) found at
[https://github.com/nlopes/slack](https://github.com/nlopes/slack). The core
functionality of the bot is previously used
[James Bowman](https://github.com/james-bowman)'s
[Slack RTM API integration](https://github.com/james-bowman/slack) and
was heavily inspired by [talbot](https://github.com/james-bowman/talbot),
also written by [James Bowman](https://github.com/james-bowman).