chitchat.js

# Conditionality - Alexa Building Blocks

These blocks allow you to wire logic to the user input based on an outcome of a conditional expression.

# ax.when()

When block in its simplest form executes its block only when provided condition is met.

let whenBlock = ax
  .when((ctx: AlexaDialogContext, event: AlexaEvent) => {
    return event.currentRequest.request.type === "IntentRequest";
  })
  .then(ax.say("This is an intent request!"));

Above code will render This is an intent request on every IntentRequest.

Optionally, you can also use .otherwise(..) to wire a Block when condition doesn't meet.

whenBlock.otherwise(ax.say("This is not an intent request"));

# ax.whenLaunch()

A simple when block that checks if skill received a launch request.

ax.whenLaunch()
  .then(ax.say("It's a launch request."))
  .otherwise(ax.say("It's not a launch request."))
  .build();

# ax.whenUserSays()

A simple when block that only checks if user said a specific utterance.

ax.whenUserSays(["hello alexa"])
  .then(ax.say("hello!"))
  .build();

This will generate:

U: hello alexa
A: hello!

This block automatically generates an intent for the specified utterance!

# Capturing slot types

You can use {..} to annotate a type inside a sample utterance and then use .withSlotType(<name>, <slot-type-name>) method to add a type and then use them in the response using the same annotation!

ax.whenUserSays(["hello {name}"])
  .withSlotType("name", builtins.SlotType.FirstName)
  .then(ax.say("hello you called me {name}!"))
  .build();

# ax.whenIntentName()

Another variation of when block that gives you a bit more control. You can define your intent outside and use this block to define condition by intent name.

ax.whenIntentName("HelloAlexaIntent")
  .then(ax.say("hello!"))
  .build();

# ax.whenMissingSlot()

By default if user did not speak a slot value, Alexa would not ask them for the value. This block allows us to do that. It's usually used with ax.whenIntentName() or ax.whenUserSays() blocks.

ax.whenMissingSlot("city")
  .then(ax.ask("which city?").build())
  .otherwise(ax.ask("ok {city} and how about the date?").build())
  .build();

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