Twilio awaits response, I don't want server to respond - ruby

I am using a Slack webhook to process incoming SMS messages from Twilio. However, the way I have it set up, It seems that Twilio is expecting the web server (slack) to respond to it. This causes errors to be generated in Twilio, and I obviously don't want errors because I'll be getting emails.
I am using the twilio-ruby gem in Ruby to send out the SMS messages, and using the slack-ruby-client to monitor incoming messages from Slack.
How do I stop Twilio from trying to expect a response from the web server when it POSTS to the Slack webhook? Is that even possible or do I have this all configured incorrectly?
EDIT
Here's the function that I have which sends the forwarded SMS to Slack:
const https = require("https");
// Make sure to declare SLACK_WEBHOOK_PATH in your Environment
// variables at
// https://www.twilio.com/console/runtime/functions/configure
exports.handler = (context, event, callback) => {
// Extract the bits of the message we want
const { To, From, Body } = event;
// Construct a payload for slack's incoming webhooks
const slackBody = JSON.stringify({
text: `!asi SMS\nFrom: ${From}\nMessage: ${Body}`
});
// Form our request specification
const options = {
host: "hooks.slack.com",
port: 443,
path: context.SLACK_WEBHOOK_PATH,
method: "POST",
headers: {
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"Content-Length": slackBody.length
}
};
// send the request
const post = https.request(options, res => {
// only respond once we're done, or Twilio's functions
// may kill our execution before we finish.
res.on("end", () => {
// respond with an empty message
callback(null, new Twilio.twiml.MessagingResponse());
});
});
post.write(slackBody);
post.end();
};

Twilio developer evangelist here.
Twilio is always going to expect at least a 200 response or will timeout at 15 seconds for incoming message webhooks.
You could avoid the error messages by using something in between Twilio and Slack, like Zapier (example in this blog post) or using a Twilio Function (as described here) or with Twilio Studio (from the documentation here).
Hope one of those ideas helps!
Update
Further to my earlier answer, and given the code you used to make the call, I have an update.
When making a request using Node's built in https module you will not get the end event until you have read the data. This is what is causing the timeout between Twilio and the Twilio Function, you are never responding to it because you don't consume the data from the request.
In a quick test I found that just listening for the data event meant that the end event did fire. So update your function to:
const post = https.request(options, res => {
// only respond once we're done, or Twilio's functions
// may kill our execution before we finish.
res.on("data", () => {});
res.on("end", () => {
// respond with an empty message
callback(null, new Twilio.twiml.MessagingResponse());
});
});
And it should work.

Related

Where do I get `thread_ts` to start a Slack thread with an incoming webhook?

On Slack's incoming webhook documentation, they mention including the thread_ts in the request body to start a thread.
{
"text": "Hello, world.",
"thread_ts": "12345.6789"
}
When I make the POST request to my incoming webhook url, the response body does not include the thread_ts. I was expecting the thread_ts to be in the response body, but the response body just says ok and does not include any json.
Is it possible to get the thread_ts without another app or authentication token? Do I have to use another Slack API? I only have the incoming webhook configured right now.
As a side note, if this is easier to do with Slack's new Block Kit API, that would work as well.
To take full control of all messaging features of Slack including threads you want to use the API.
When posting messages with chat.postMessage you get the thread_ts value and can start creating threads.
Also check out this official documentation on threads. It clears up a lot.
I am not an export on the new blocks yet, but as far as I understand it replaced the attachments and provides a more flexible way for message layouts. It does however not change the way threading works.
from slack_sdk import WebClient
slack_client = WebClient(token='token_value')
response = slack_client.chat_postMessage(channel=receiver, text=message)
print(response.data)
thread_ts = response.data['ts']
In case of Bolt api (js) you can check ts value from callback arguments.
app.message(
"link please",
async ({ message, say }) => { // You can also get ts from `payload`
console.log(message);
await say({
text: "you can check this link",
thread_ts: message.ts, // you can get ts from message
});
});
message content:
{
client_msg_id: 'xxxxx',
type: 'message',
text: 'xxxx',
user: 'UxxR',
ts: '1650249299.335499',
team: 'xxxx',
blocks: [ { type: 'rich_text', block_id: 'adOR', elements: [Array] } ],
thread_ts: '1650249116.347219',
parent_user_id: 'UxxxxxR',
channel: 'C01TNEN8SSK',
event_ts: '1650249299.335499',
channel_type: 'group'
}

How to send message back to device from Lambda function?

Is there any way we can send a message to a device from Lambda function which is invoked by Alexa Skill. The message contains some values collected by Lambda function.
So basically I want to do this:
Device ---> Voice command ---> Alexa Skill --(Trigger)--> Lambda function
Lambda function(collect values) ---- message ---> Device
Is there any example in Java?
Thanks for any pointer/help.
-James
Invoke Alexa device from lambda function is a very similar question, with the answer: "it's not possible YET"
I will elaborate. You can send notifications to all users of a skill such as a new feature, however, you cannot send a notification to a specific user that invokes a function.
To send notifications to all users of an Alexa skill who have notifications enabled, see this design.
Reference this thread for more information on the limitations of sending a notification to a specific user.
What you are asking can be done.
First the voice command does not come from a human from your diagram.
A device talks to Alexa. Alexa invokes or triggers Lambda. Lambda function messages device.
The function inside Lambda is http or https. If your device can handle https or TLS encryption then good. But most of the device are small and have limited computing power, so you will end up using http. As of now 2020, AWS allows http, but a year from now it requires you to use https or TLS 1.3 due to federal regulations. But we don't know until it happens.
Below is a sample of Lambda http post in NodeJS. The trigger data comes in request. So you should know what JSON will come in and extract your data from JSON using the if statement.
NodeJS website has good examples for http.
Now your device is the server. It has to anticipate the Lambda request and process it and reply to Lambda if needed.
Now your device talks and receives information.
const http = require('http');
exports.handler = async (request, context) => {
if (request.directive.header.namespace === 'FromAlexaSkill') {
httpost("This is your data to device", "192.168.1.2");
}
//**********************************************
let httpPost =async (postData, servername) => {
let dataString = '';
const response = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
const options = {
hostname: servername,
port: 1777,
path: '/dim',
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
'Content-Length': Buffer.byteLength(postData)
}
};
const req = http.request(options, (res) =>
{
res.setEncoding('utf8');
res.on('data', chunk => {
dataString += chunk;
});
res.on('end', () => {
resolve({
"body":dataString
});
});
});//http.request
req.on('error', (e) => {
console.error("problem with request: "+e.message);
reject({
statusCode: 500,
body: 'Something went wrong!'
});
});
// Write data to request body
req.write(postData);
req.end();
}); //Promise
return response;
};//httpPost
}

socket.io : can a socket IO client emit function register a call back function

I am trying to send a message to the server and at the same time save that message to an array in the client. I wanted to know before i start if socketio.emit takes in a call back, something like this :
socket.emit('startRecording', {someData: 'value'}, function (response) {})
socket.io does support an ACK callback from sending a message. It is described here in the socket.io doc. Here's the example of how it would be used from the doc:
// client code
socket.emit('ferret', 'tobi', (data) => {
console.log(data); // data will be 'woot'
});
// server code
io.on('connection', (socket) => {
socket.on('ferret', (name, fn) => {
// send ACK response
fn('woot');
});
});
If the last argument you pass .emit() is a callback, then that callback will be called if/when the server provides an ACK response as show in the example above. This allows you to use a request/response for a given message where you get a specific response from sending a message.

Single Cross Domain AJAX Request needed

Trying to implement sending sms features in my ecommerce store.
I use service called esteria.lv and they provided me with API link that looks like this: http://api1.esteria.lv/send?api-key=api_key&sender=example.com&number=11223344&text=message
If the message is sent then it outputs message ID, now it outputs error number 3(unable to authenticate).
To get it working with my ecommerce store, I found this resource: http://www.ajax-cross-origin.com/examples/cross-origin.htm, and made this code:
$(function() {
$( '#btn' ).click(function(){
$.ajax({
crossOrigin: true,
url: 'http://api1.esteria.lv/send?api-key=api_key&sender=example.com&number=11223344&text=message',
success: function(data) {
$( '#test' ).html(data);
}
});
});
});
It works, but the problem is, it sends 6 messages (requests) instead of just one. I need just 1 request and one sent sms. Anyone have any suggestions?
To answer your comment, this is what you should do.
In your javascript you should have an ajax call to your server
// collect sms data
$.ajax({
url: 'yourserver/handlesms',
method: 'post',
data: {
sender: 'email#mail.com',
number: '1234567',
message: 'Test message'
}
}).then(function (data) {
alert("Message sent!");
});
In your server you should have an handler for sending the sms, something like (I don't know what's your platform, I'll just write a really simple php example)
$data = $_POST;
$apiKey = '12345643223213ds';
$endpoint = 'http://api1.esteria.lv/send';
// Create new curl request
$ch = curl_init($endpoint);
// curl settings, add your data, api key etc...
$result = curl_exec($ch);
// Result will contain the response from your api call
// Then you can send a result back to your client (js)
echo json_encode(['status' => 'Message sent!']);
This is just an example, the server code depends on your platform.
In this case you don't have any cross origin request (all the js request will be sent to your server, that then is in charge of contacting your sms provider and send the messages.
The problem that's executed 6 times I think depends on something else but it's hard to say without looking at the rest of the code (you can try debugging the click event on #btn and see how many times is executed every time you click on the button.

slack api rtm direct message

I'm using a node package: slack-client to interact with the api at slack. Now with or without using slack-client how do I send a direct message from my bot to a user I want to specify? Here's what have so far with a plain socket connection:
var WebSocket = require('ws')
,ws2 = new WebSocket(myURL); //from rtm start
ws2.on('open', function() {
ws2.send({
"id": 333,
"type": "message",
"channel": "#user1", //User I want to send to
"text": "HEY!!!!"
});
});
ws2.on('message', function(message) {
console.log('received: %s', message);
});
I was hoping that message would go directly to me from the bot but nothing. I get a reply of type hello though? The send details above I got on another post about this but it doesn't work for me. The message Id was one I created.
Ok so when calling the rtm.start via the web api, you would get a list of DM's that would be open for various users otherwise you can easily just open an im with im.open. I'm using the node package slack-client as mentioned in my question so you can do this:
//name of user your bot wants to send a msg to.
var userTest = slack.getUserByName('user1');
slack.openDM(userTest.id, function(res)
{
TestMsg(res.channel.id, 'some other msg');//test function I'm using
});
Next is the TestMsg function:
function TestMsg(userChannelId, msg)
{
request.post({url: 'https://slack.com/api/chat.postMessage',
form: { token: "xxxx-yourbot-token",channel: userChannelId,text: msg ,username: "yourBotNamehere", as_user: false}
}, function(error, response, body){
console.log(response.body);
});
}
I couldn't get it to work yet using the websockets send method but I suppose the api of postMessage will do for now as you can post richly formatted messages with postMessage. Hope this helps someone

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