Scope of Response of API after function call in node.js - node.js

Question

Post API format
{
"first_name": "sakshi",
"last_name":"agrawal",
"username":"sakshiagrawallllllll",
"is_active":"1"
}
Response from POST API
If the user is already registered, then this will be the format of response.
{
"code": 404,
"message": "User Already In Database"
}
If user is not registered, then this will be response.
{
"code": 200,
"message": {
"first_name": "sakshi",
"last_name": "agrawal",
"username": "sakshiagrawallllllll",
"is_active": "1",
"updated_at": "2021-08-31T06:37:24.536000Z",
"created_at": "2021-08-31T06:37:24.536000Z",
"_id": "612dce240e357825b00182d2"
},
"count": "",
"data": ""
}
index.js Code
'use strict';
// Import the Dialogflow module from the Actions on Google client library.
const { dialogflow } = require('actions-on-google');
const functions = require('firebase-functions');
// Instantiate the Dialogflow client.
const app = dialogflow({ debug: true });
const axios = require('axios');
global.username='';
global.firstname='';
global.lastname='';
global.sessionId=0;
global.flag=0;
global.code=[];
global.sid=[];
global.ques=[];
global.response='';
global.res='';
global.data='';
global.rs = '';
global.resp=[];
global.reply = '';
app.intent('Default Welcome Intent', (conv) => {
conv.add("Welcome to Smart Evaluation world’s largest database of evaluations and interview questions. Are you a registered user ?");
exports.dialogflowFirebaseFulfillment = functions.https.onRequest((request, response) => {
const agent = new WebhookClient({ request, response });
console.log('Dialogflow Request headers: ' + JSON.stringify(request.headers));
console.log('Dialogflow Request body: ' + JSON.stringify(request.body));
function welcome(agent) {
const sessionVars = {
'userLang': 'en', // possibilites handled - 'en', 'hi'
'words': [],
'questions': [],
'currentIndexPosition': 0,
'score': 0,
};
const sessionContext = { 'name': KEY_SESSION, 'lifespanCount': 100000, 'parameters': sessionVars };
agent.setContext(sessionContext);
let sessionId = agent.session;
conv.add(sessionId);
sessionId=0;
}
let intentMap = new Map();
intentMap.set('Default Welcome Intent', welcome);
agent.handleRequest(intentMap);
});
});
app.intent('Non-Registered User', (conv) => {
console.log(JSON.stringify(conv));
var userreply = conv.body.queryResult.queryText;
if (userreply == "no")
{
conv.ask("In order to register you I will ask you a series of questions, please give honest feedback. Let’s begin. What is your first name? ");
flag=0;
}
else if (userreply == "yes")
{
conv.ask("Welcome back, let’s get you authorized. What is your first name?");
}
});
app.intent('LastNameIntent', (conv) => {
firstname = conv.parameters.any;
conv.ask("What is your last name?" );
});
app.intent('UserNameIntent', (conv) => {
lastname = conv.parameters.any;
conv.ask("What is your user name?" );
});
app.intent('SecurityQuestionIntent', (conv) => {
var reply;
username = conv.parameters.any;
conv.ask("Thank you" + firstname + lastname + username);
if(flag == 0)
{
async function makePostRequest() {
var payload = {
"first_name": firstname,
"last_name": lastname,
"username": username,
"is_active": "1"
};
console.log(payload);
let res = await axios.post('API', payload, {
headers: { 'Content-Type' : 'application/json'}
})
/*(error) => {
console.log(error);
});*/
console.log("Response of data code is" + res.data.code);
reply = res.data.code;
console.log("Reply is " + reply);
return reply;
}
reply = makePostRequest();
console.log("Reply after method is" + reply);
conv.ask(reply);
}
});
// Set the DialogflowApp object to handle theif() HTTPS POST request.
exports.dialogflowFirebaseFulfillment = functions.https.onRequest(app);
package.json
{
"name": "dialogflowFirebaseFulfillments",
"description": "This is the default fulfillment for a Dialogflow agents using Cloud Functions for Firebase",
"version": "0.0.1",
"private": true,
"license": "Apache Version 2.0",
"author": "Google Inc.",
"engines": {
"node": "10"
},
"scripts": {
"start": "firebase serve --only functions:dialogflowFirebaseFulfillments",
"deploy": "firebase deploy --only functions:dialogflowFirebaseFulfillments",
"logs": "firebase functions:log"
},
"dependencies": {
"actions-on-google": "^2.4.0",
"firebase-admin": "^5.13.1",
"firebase-functions": "^2.0.2",
"dialogflow": "^0.6.0",
"dialogflow-fulfillment": "^0.6.0",
"axios": "0.18.0",
"aws-sdk": "2.696.0",
"multivocal": "0.15.2",
"express-session": "1.17.1"
}
}
As I'm trying to access "reply" variable outside the function, I'm getting [object Promise] while that is being printed well if tried to print inside the function.
How can I access the variable "reply" outside the function. Can someone please help me?

Answer 1

This is a matter of async function. It returns promise object (refrence):
Async functions always return a promise. If the return value of an async function is not explicitly a promise, it will be implicitly wrapped in a promise.
As makePostRequest is async function there is a need to use some asynchornous construction, like than or await, to get the results.
I think the easiest should be to correct reply assignment and flowing lines to :
EDIT:
return statment added to aviod Error: No rersponse has been sent
return makePostRequest().then(reply => {
console.log("Reply after method is" + reply);
conv.ask(reply);
})