Chat Bot Project Setup Guide

Chat Bot Project Setup Guide

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for setting up the chat bot project on Glitch.

Introduction to Web Servers and REST APIs

What is a Web Server?

• A web server is a software that handles requests from clients (browsers or apps) and provides responses.
• Responses include web pages, images, or data (like JSON) for web services.

What Does a Web Server Do?

• Listens for incoming requests on a specific address and port.
• Processes the request (e.g., fetch data, compute, etc.).
• Sends a structured response back to the client.

How Web Servers Work

• Clients (browsers/apps) send requests using URLs.
• The web server routes these requests to appropriate endpoints/handlers.
• Each endpoint runs code to process the client's request and provide a response.

REST API Overview

• REST API Definition:
  • REST stands for Representational State Transfer.
  • A REST API allows clients to interact with a web server using standardized HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).
• Endpoints: Each URL pattern represents an endpoint that handles specific data.
• HTTP Methods:
  • GET: Retrieve data from the server.
  • POST: Send new data to the server.
  • PUT: Update existing data.
  • DELETE: Remove data.

Example Project on Glitch

Let's move our chat bot server code to Glitch:

Setting up on Glitch

1. Create a New Project:
   • Go to Glitch.
   • Click on "New Project" and choose a template. For this guide, use "hello-webpage" (or any basic starter project).
2. Cloning or Importing Code:
   • Import from GitHub: If your project is in a GitHub repository, use "Import from GitHub" to clone it directly.
   • Manually Upload Files: Alternatively, copy and paste the provided server.py, requirements.txt, and simple_frontend.html into your Glitch project files.

Configuring the Environment

Add any required environment variables (like API keys) via the "Secrets" section in Glitch.

Running the Project

1. Setting up Dependencies:
   • Ensure the requirements.txt file lists all necessary Python packages.
   • Click "Terminal" or "Console" to manually install dependencies: pip install -r requirements.txt.
2. Starting the Server: Run the server using the command: python server.py.
3. Accessing the Frontend: Create or upload your simple_frontend.html file. Click "Show" to access the frontend in a new tab.

Testing the Server

• /ping Endpoint: Test this endpoint to confirm the server is running: https://YOUR-PROJECT.glitch.me/ping.
• /chat Endpoint: Send chat messages via the /chat endpoint using the provided HTML interface or tools like Postman.
• Using curl:

  curl -X POST https://substantial-juicy-bull.glitch.me/chat \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Hello! How are you?"}'
                      

Practice Time

Encourage the students to:

• Test the /ping endpoint using their browser to understand server-client interaction.
• Modify the chat bot frontend to style messages or change its layout.
• Send different queries to the chat bot via the Glitch-hosted server.

Summary

• Web servers handle incoming requests and provide responses.
• REST APIs make it possible for web servers and clients to interact.
• Glitch is a simple platform to deploy and experiment with web applications.

Resources

• Google Colab Notebook
• GitHub Repository