ngrok Software
So first we need to download ngrok software. What is ngrok ?
"ngrok" is a network tunneling software. The Bot Framework Emulator works with ngrok to communicate with bots hosted remotely. Click this link https://ngrok.com/download to download ngrok network tunneling software.
Bot Framework Emulator
The Bot Framework Emulator is a desktop application that allows bot developers to test and debug their bots on localhost or running remotely through a tunnel. So we need to download Bot Framework Emulator for both local and server testing. So please go through this link to download Bot Framework Emulator
click here.
After successful download please run the exe file for Bot Framework Emulator. Then first time it will open a "App Settings Window" there we need to provide the exact path of ngrok in our system ( Provide "ngrok" saved folder path in our system ).
The following screenshot "ngrok" saved into C drive Downloads folder ( C:\Users\RajeeshMenoth\Downloads\ngrok ).
Web.config
When you are connecting to remote server or anything other than local host then we need to provide the following credentials "BotId" & "MicrosoftAppId" & "MicrosoftAppPassword" in Web.Config and Bot Framework Emulator. This we will get it from azure "AppSettings" in our created Web App Bot.
- <configuration>
- <appSettings>
-
- <add key="BotId" value="YourBotId" />
- <add key="MicrosoftAppId" value="" />
- <add key="MicrosoftAppPassword" value="" />
- </appSettings>
- </configuration>
Microsoft Bot Framework In Visual Studio
Click on "File -> New -> Project -> Visual C# -> Bot Application"
Note
If the Bot Application Template is not present in the Visual Studio 2015 then please go to "Tools -> Extensions and Updates". Then search and Install the "Bot Application" in our Visual Studio.
Code
I just changed the default code for Web App Bot. Then we added our own logic into this C# Code in Bot Application.
Run our Bot Application in local then it will open our application with a localhost port number. So we can use this in our "Bot Framework Emulator".
The bot endpoint like this : "http://your_bots_hostname/api/messages"
Bot Endpoint
In the Bot Framework Emulator we can add our localhost or remote server "bot end point". We can directly connect localhost port number in Bot Framework Emulator. But note that in the actual server endpoint we need to given "Microsoft App ID" and "Microsoft App Password".
Actual endpoint of our chat bot is getting from Apps Setting ( for this we need to create a Web Chat Bot in Azure Using Bot Service ).
Application Settings
We will get all the credentials of our Web Chat Bot App ( Azure ) in Apps Setting ( for this we need to create a Web Chat Bot in Azure Using Bot Service ).
Output
Click on the "Connect" then it will trigger our Bot Application.
Download
Summary
We learned how to Create An Intelligent Bot Application Using Microsoft Bot Framework. I hope this article is useful for all Azure chat bot beginners.
Reference
See Also
You can download other ASP.NET Core source codes from MSDN Code, using the link, mentioned below.