Conversational chatbot with Twilio and Python not working

Question

I'm trying to teach my girlfriend how to build a chatbot.

We went through the codeacademy course on the basics of rule-based chatbots and we were trying to integrate it into Twilio (after having problems with Facebook messenger).

from flask import Flask, request
from twilio.twiml.messaging_response import MessagingResponse




app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route("/")
def hello():
    return "Hello, World!"

@app.route("/sms", methods=['POST'])
def sms_reply():
    """Respond to incoming calls with a simple text message."""
    # Fetch the message
    msg = request.form.get('Body')

    # Create reply
    if msg == "bunny" or "michael":

        resp = MessagingResponse()
        resp.message("You said: {}".format(msg))

        return str(resp)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run(debug=True)

Using this code with Twilio works fine for parsing something simple as above via WhatsApp.

However, integrating that into this chatbot is confusing. How do you use twilio to send and receive the messages to make this code below work? I've had a play around but I can't get it to work.

import re
import random

class BunnyBot:
  # potential negative responses
  negative_responses = ("no", "nope", "nah", "naw", "not a chance", "sorry")
  # keywords for exiting the conversation
  exit_commands = ("quit", "pause", "exit", "goodbye", "bye", "later", "goodbye", "got to go")
  # random starter questions
  random_questions = (
        "How's your day going Mummy Bunny? ",
        "What do you do when you leave the house? ",
        "What did you have to eat today? I had some fresh weeds. ",
        "Are there other bunnies like me? ",
        "Do you want to come hang out with me in the garden? ",
        "Would you like to help me dig a hole? ",
        "Do you have any carrots today? "
    )

  def __init__(self):
    self.bunnybabble = {'hows_your_day_intent': '.*\s*your day.*','carrots_intent': '.\s*carrot.*', 'cubed_intent': '.*.*(\d+)'}

  # Define .greet() below:
  def greet(self):
    self.name = input("Hi there. Who I am talking to?")
    will_chat = input(f"Hey {self.name}! Do you want to chat with me? ")
    if will_chat in self.negative_responses:
      print ("No worries, see you later! xxx")
      return
    self.chat()

  # Define .make_exit() here:
  def make_exit(self, reply):
    for word in self.exit_commands:
      if word in reply:
        print ("Bye for now! I hope we can chat later xxx")
        return True

  # Define .chat() next:
  def chat(self):
    reply = input(random.choice(self.random_questions)).lower()
    while not self.make_exit(reply):
      reply = input(self.match_reply(reply))

  # Define .match_reply() below:
  def match_reply(self, reply):
    found = False
    for intent, regPattern in self.bunnybabble.items():
      found_match = re.findall(regPattern, reply)
      if found_match and intent == 'hows_your_day_intent':
        return self.hows_your_day_intent()
      elif found_match and intent == 'carrots_intent':
        return self.carrots_intent()
      elif found_match and intent == 'cubed_intent':
        return self.cubed_intent(found_match[0])
    if not found:
      return self.no_match_intent()

  def hows_your_day_intent(self):
    responses = ("Pretty relaxing, I've just been napping. ", "Great! I dug a tunnel, do you want to see? ", "Good, but I'm kind of hungry, do you have any snacks? ", "It's been alright, but I'm a bit lonely and would love a pat. ", "So good, just been eating some curtains! ")
    return random.choice(responses)

  def carrots_intent(self):
    responses = ("I love carrots! Can I have one now? ", "Unfortunately I never get a full carrots, only the peel. ", "Carrots are good but so is apple! Do you have a snack for me? ")
    return random.choice(responses)

  def cubed_intent(self, number):
    number = int(number)
    cubed_number = number * number * number
    return (f"The cube of {number} is {cubed_number}. Who knew bunnies were good at maths? ")

  def plans_for_today_intent(self):
    responses = ("I might see if my pigeon friends are around! ", "Maybe hang out with Mummy Bunny if she's doing some gardening. ", "Probably watch some TV with Mummy Bunny and Nicole. ", "I'm just going to hang around until some weeds appear for me to eat. ")
    return random.choice(responses)

  def love_me_intent(self):
    responses = ("Of course I do, you're the best Mummy Bunny ever! ", "I love you so much, no one else gets me weeds like you do. ", "Yes I do, you give the best pats and jaw rubs. ", "Absolutely, thanks for always looking after me. ")
    return random.choice(responses)

  def my_name_intent(self):
    responses = ("Honestly, I'm not sure. It's either Bunny, Fluffy Bun or Heather. It's a bit confusing. ", "Well, someone once mentioned Flat Bunny which got me a little worried. ", "Mummy Bunny calls me Bunny Bun a lot? ")
    return random.choice(responses)

  def favourite_intent(self):
    responses = ("Mummy Bunny obviously. She looks after me. ", "Nicole is pretty cool, after all, I am technically her rabbit. She can be pretty loud though. ", "Natalie is nice to me, but I never really see her anymore which is sad. ")
    return random.choice(responses)

  def no_match_intent(self):
    responses = ("Please tell me more. ", "Tell me more! ", "Why do you say that? ", "I see. Can you elaborate? ", "Interesting. Can you tell me more? ", "I see. How do you think? ", "Why? ", "How do you think I feel when you say that? ")
    return random.choice(responses)


my_bot = BunnyBot()
my_bot.greet()

I think it has something to do with utilizing thw twillio messaging response, but I don't understand how it remembers what has been said in the past?

Update

This is the new code, trying to use with Twilio based on this youtube tutorial here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeUdel2AJ5g

from flask import Flask, request
from twilio.twiml.messaging_response import MessagingResponse

import re
import random


def send(msg):
    resp = MessagingResponse()
    resp.message(format(msg))
    return str(resp)


def recv():
    return request.form.get('Body')


app = Flask(__name__)


@app.route("/")
def hello():
    return "Hello, World!"


@app.route("/sms", methods=['POST'])
def sms_reply():
    """Respond to incoming calls with a simple text message."""
    # Fetch the message
    msg = request.form.get('Body')

    # Create reply
    if msg == "bunny" or "michael":

        resp = MessagingResponse()
        resp.message("You said: {}".format(msg))

        return str(resp)


class BunnyBot:
    # potential negative responses
    negative_responses = ("no", "nope", "nah", "naw", "not a chance", "sorry")
    # keywords for exiting the conversation
    exit_commands = ("quit", "pause", "exit", "goodbye",
                     "bye", "later", "goodbye", "got to go")
    # random starter questions
    random_questions = (
        "How's your day going Mummy Bunny? ",
        "What do you do when you leave the house? ",
        "What did you have to eat today? I had some fresh weeds. ",
        "Are there other bunnies like me? ",
        "Do you want to come hang out with me in the garden? ",
        "Would you like to help me dig a hole? ",
        "Do you have any carrots today? "
    )

    def __init__(self):
        self.bunnybabble = {'hows_your_day_intent': '.*\s*your day.*',
                            'carrots_intent': '.\s*carrot.*', 'cubed_intent': '.*.*(\d+)'}

    # Define .greet() below:
    def greet(self):
        self.name = recv("Hi there. Who I am talking to?")
        will_chat = recv(f"Hey {self.name}! Do you want to chat with me? ")
        if will_chat in self.negative_responses:
            send("No worries, see you later! xxx")
            return
        self.chat()

    # Define .make_exit() here:
    def make_exit(self, reply):
        for word in self.exit_commands:
            if word in reply:
                send("Bye for now! I hope we can chat later xxx")
                return True

    # Define .chat() next:
    def chat(self):
        reply = recv(random.choice(self.random_questions)).lower()
        while not self.make_exit(reply):
            reply = recv(self.match_reply(reply))

    # Define .match_reply() below:
    def match_reply(self, reply):
        found = False
        for intent, regPattern in self.bunnybabble.items():
            found_match = re.findall(regPattern, reply)
            if found_match and intent == 'hows_your_day_intent':
                return self.hows_your_day_intent()
            elif found_match and intent == 'carrots_intent':
                return self.carrots_intent()
            elif found_match and intent == 'cubed_intent':
                return self.cubed_intent(found_match[0])
        if not found:
            return self.no_match_intent()

    def hows_your_day_intent(self):
        responses = ("Pretty relaxing, I've just been napping. ", "Great! I dug a tunnel, do you want to see? ", "Good, but I'm kind of hungry, do you have any snacks? ",
                     "It's been alright, but I'm a bit lonely and would love a pat. ", "So good, just been eating some curtains! ")
        return random.choice(responses)

    def carrots_intent(self):
        responses = ("I love carrots! Can I have one now? ", "Unfortunately I never get a full carrots, only the peel. ",
                     "Carrots are good but so is apple! Do you have a snack for me? ")
        return random.choice(responses)

    def cubed_intent(self, number):
        number = int(number)
        cubed_number = number * number * number
        return (f"The cube of {number} is {cubed_number}. Who knew bunnies were good at maths? ")

    def plans_for_today_intent(self):
        responses = ("I might see if my pigeon friends are around! ", "Maybe hang out with Mummy Bunny if she's doing some gardening. ",
                     "Probably watch some TV with Mummy Bunny and Nicole. ", "I'm just going to hang around until some weeds appear for me to eat. ")
        return random.choice(responses)

    def love_me_intent(self):
        responses = ("Of course I do, you're the best Mummy Bunny ever! ", "I love you so much, no one else gets me weeds like you do. ",
                     "Yes I do, you give the best pats and jaw rubs. ", "Absolutely, thanks for always looking after me. ")
        return random.choice(responses)

    def my_name_intent(self):
        responses = ("Honestly, I'm not sure. It's either Bunny, Fluffy Bun or Heather. It's a bit confusing. ",
                     "Well, someone once mentioned Flat Bunny which got me a little worried. ", "Mummy Bunny calls me Bunny Bun a lot? ")
        return random.choice(responses)

    def favourite_intent(self):
        responses = ("Mummy Bunny obviously. She looks after me. ", "Nicole is pretty cool, after all, I am technically her rabbit. She can be pretty loud though. ",
                     "Natalie is nice to me, but I never really see her anymore which is sad. ")
        return random.choice(responses)

    def no_match_intent(self):
        responses = ("Please tell me more. ", "Tell me more! ", "Why do you say that? ", "I see. Can you elaborate? ",
                     "Interesting. Can you tell me more? ", "I see. How do you think? ", "Why? ", "How do you think I feel when you say that? ")
        return random.choice(responses)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app.run(debug=True)

Trying with Ngrok and isn't working properly yet - any clues?

Devidas · Accepted Answer

You are almost there.

TL;DR

your bot works fine on commandline. only problem is hooking it to twilio

Step by Step Solution.

create two functions using twilio code. send and recv functions i.e.

def send(msg):
        resp = MessagingResponse()
        resp.message(format(msg))
        return str(resp)

def recv():
        return request.form.get('Body')

test these functions modify if needed. as I don't have account so not tested.
change print to send and input to send and recv i.e.

input

msg = input("Hi there. Who I am talking to?")
# change it to
send("Hi there. Who I am talking to?")
msg = recv()

print

print ("No worries, see you later!")
#change this to
send("No worries, see you later!")

this way you will have working chat bot

why use send and recv funtions ?

it will help you while you expand or port your bot to other platforms like telegram or twitter or different provider like gupshup.io