BreadBot - Discord Bot

Check out the project on GitHub

BreadBot is a package designed to experiment with interacting with the Discord API. The current version of the bot can accept, validate, and execute boards. It can also prompt users for input in a limited capacity by creating a promise on the server thread, which is resolved when the user responds. This feature will eventually allow node-by-node serial execution of boards with interactive user input.

When working in a server-client environment, the server can prompt the user for input, store the serialised board state, and then deserialise and resume execution once a response is received from the user/client. Future development will include templating a bot where the underlying logic is controlled by a Breadboard Graph.

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Overview

BreadBot is an experimental Discord bot designed for loading and running boards within the Breadboard project. It offers two primary commands: load and run, both of which require a URL of a board as input.

Commands

Load Command

The load command performs the following functions:

• URL Validation: Checks if the provided URL is valid and corresponds to a valid board.
• Board Analysis: Returns statistics about the board, including:
  • Total number of nodes
  • Total number of edges
  • Kits used
  • Number of graphs
• File Generation: Produces and attaches several files to the message:
  • A JSON file containing the board schema
  • A markdown file with Mermaid code for the board
  • A PNG file of the generated Mermaid diagram

Run Command

The run command executes the board and involves the following steps:

• User Input Collection: Prompts the user to enter values for any inputs required by the board.
• Board Execution: Processes the inputs and outputs the results from the board.
• Validation: Ensures the URL is valid and the board is recognised.

Error Handling

BreadBot handles errors by validating URLs and board structures:

• Invalid URLs are rejected with a message stating the URL is invalid.
• Valid URLs pointing to invalid boards receive a message indicating the board is not recognised.

Example Workflow

1. Loading a Board:
   • The user enters a valid URL and board.
   • The bot progressively updates the message, showing an hourglass icon initially, which changes to green tick as each stage completes.
   • The bot extracts and displays stats about the board, attaches the JSON schema, Mermaid markdown file, and the PNG diagram to the message.
2. Running a Board:
   • The user enters a valid URL and board.
   • The bot runs the board prompting the user to provide input for input properties in the board.
   • The user provides values for required inputs (e.g., “greeting” and “name”).
   • The bot outputs the result (e.g., the joined strings of “Hello World”).

Advanced Features and Limitations

• Harness Utilisation: The run command uses a harness to pause and gather inputs at each iteration.
• Run Configuration: Currently, the bot supports only the core kit. Additional kits may be supported in the future.
• Experimental Status: The bot is experimental with several limitations and is still a work in progress.
• Future Enhancements: Plans include saving and reloading board states to prevent hanging when awaiting user inputs.

Conclusion

BreadBot is a proof of concept for integrating board operations within Discord. Although still under development, it demonstrates the potential for dynamic board management and interaction through Discord.