Microsoft Bot Framework : prepopulate user's input area - bots

Question

Im developing a bot using Microsoft Bot Framework. The user can issue search commands in the format : "#bot search" followed by a search term. The search yields results displayed as carousel. Below the carousel is a button to "Refine the search". The button click should pre-populate the previous search command in the user input area. This is so that the user can edit the previous search query without having to retype it again. Is this possible?

Answer 1

As far as inserting the previously entered text into the user's text box, I don't believe you can do that.
If you use Adaptive Cards with the Bot Framework, you can use an Adaptive Card object which has a text property, and set the button's action to send the message. The text can be set to whatever you want in "Refine the Search". Here's an example in node.js:
var restify = require('restify');
var builder = require('botbuilder');
var adaptive = require('adaptivecards');
let Adapt = () => {
var inMemoryStorage = new builder.MemoryBotStorage();
let response = "";
// Setup Restify Server
var server = restify.createServer();
server.listen(process.env.port || process.env.PORT || 3978, function() {
console.log('%s listening to %s', server.name, server.url);
});
// Create chat connector for communicating with the Bot Framework Service
var connector = new builder.ChatConnector({
// your app ID and password here
});
// Listen for messages from users
server.post('/api/messages', connector.listen());
// Bot structure. It will use an AdaptiveCard, and you will be able to refine the search in the textbox inside the card itself. Search will send the textbox's text to the bot and it will bring the card back up again with the updated text.
var bot = new builder.UniversalBot(connector, function (session) {
if (!!session.message.value && !!session.message.value.refineSearchText) {
response = session.message.value.refineSearchText;
} else {
response = "";
}
let attachTest = {
'contentType': 'application/vnd.microsoft.card.adaptive',
'content': {
'$schema': 'http://adaptivecards.io/schemas/adaptive-card.json',
'type': 'AdaptiveCard',
'version': '1.0',
'body': [ {"type": "TextBlock", "text": "Refine Search?"},
{
'type': "Input.Text",
"id": "refineSearchText",
"placeholder": "Search to refine",
"style":"text",
"value": `${response || session.message.text}`
}],
'actions': [
{
'type': 'Action.Submit',
'title': 'Search'
}
]
}
};
session.send(`You're refining: ${response}`);
let attachTestMsg = new builder.Message(session).addAttachment(attachTest);
session.send(attachTestMsg);
}).set("storage", inMemoryStorage);
};
Adapt();
If you're not using node.js, you may need to adapt this to the environment you are using.