Bot sending the default response instead of customAction - node.js

Question

I'm testing out the idea of writing a bot to interact with our teams chat tool and our ticketing system. I have a basic bot that will go fetch the status of a task record in the system and respond back. I set that call up as a customAction. The issue I'm running into is the bot will work the first time you interact with it, but the second time it sends the default message instead. Any ideas what I have wrong?
var restify = require("restify");
var builder = require("botbuilder");
var getSnStatus = require("./getSnStatus");
var botAppInfo = require("./botStuffs.json");
//setup the Restify server
var server = restify.createServer();
server.listen(process.env.port || process.env.PORT || 3978, function() {
console.log('listening to %s', server.name, server.url);
});
//create chat connector using the ms bot framework
var connector = new builder.ChatConnector({
appId: botAppInfo.AppID,
appPassword: botAppInfo.password
});
//listen for messages from users
server.post('/api/messages', connector.listen());
// setup bot and Register in-memory storage
var inMemoryStorage = new builder.MemoryBotStorage();
var bot = new builder.UniversalBot(connector, [
function(session){
session.send("Hello, If you want to check the status of something just ask for the status or state with a number.");
}
]).set('storage', inMemoryStorage);
//look for the state or status word and run a state check if that's found
//anywhere in the text sent by the user.
//TODO handle a response with no results.
bot.customAction({
matches: /status|state/gi,
onSelectAction(session, args, next) {
words = session.message.text.split(" ");
for (i = 0; i < words.length; i++) {
if (words[i].match(/\d+/)) {
console.log("Run using the word: " + words[i]);
getSnStatus(words[i], function(state) {
state.result.forEach(function(element) {
session.send("The state of " + element.number +
" is: " + element.state);
});
session.endDialog();
})
}
}
}
})
The output I get is like this:
call:state INC1671479
response:The state of INC1671479 is: Open
call:state INC1671479
response: Hello, If you want to check the status of something just ask for the status or state with a number.
I was hoping that it would instead fire my custom action again on the second call.
Here is the working code after the issue was identified.
var restify = require("restify");
var builder = require("botbuilder");
var getSnStatus = require("./getSnStatus");
var botAppInfo = require("./botStuffs.json");
//setup the Restify server
var server = restify.createServer();
server.listen(process.env.port || process.env.PORT || 3978, function() {
console.log('listening to %s', server.name, server.url);
});
//create chat connector using the ms bot framework
var connector = new builder.ChatConnector({
appId: botAppInfo.AppID,
appPassword: botAppInfo.password
});
//listen for messages from users
server.post('/api/messages', connector.listen());
// setup bot and Register in-memory storage
var inMemoryStorage = new builder.MemoryBotStorage();
var bot = new builder.UniversalBot(connector, []).set('storage', inMemoryStorage);
bot.dialog("status", (session, args, next)=>{
words = session.message.text.split(" ");
for (i = 0; i < words.length; i++) {
if (words[i].match(/\d+/)) {
console.log("Run using the word: " + words[i]);
getSnStatus(words[i], function(state) {
state.result.forEach(function(element) {
session.send("The state of " + element.number +
" is: " + element.state);
});
})
}
}
}).triggerAction({matches: /status|state/gi});

Answer 1

The issue I'm running into is the bot will work the first time you interact with it, but the second time it sends the default message instead. Any ideas what I have wrong?
I think this behavior is by design, according to the official document: Bind a customAction, once the action is completed, control is passed back to the dialog that is at the top of the stack and the bot can continue.
So in your code, after the first time your customAction is completed, it will go to the root dialog by default, when the second time user input a "state", this dialog will handle the user's input.
The use of customAction is to perform for some quick action requests without manipulate the dialog stack. So for your scenario, I think it's better to Bind a triggerAction for example like this:
bot.dialog('status', (session, args, next)=>{
var message = session.message.text;
//your work to get status goes here.
}).triggerAction({matches: /status|state/gi});