Alexa Test Response does not contain outputSpeech - node.js

Question

I'm new to Alexa, and have followed the airportinfo tutorial and I have copied the code from github https://github.com/bignerdranch/alexa-airportinfo and when i test it using npm and input an airport code e.g. SFO, Theres no "outputSpeech:" and i tried making a similar skill with the same issue, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I have both index.js and FAADataInfo.js Thanks in advance for your help.
This is the index.js file
'use strict';
module.change_code = 1;
var _ = require('lodash');
var Alexa = require('alexa-app');
var skill = new Alexa.app('airportinfo');
var FAADataHelper = require('./faa_data_helper');
skill.launch(function(req, res) {
var prompt = 'For delay information, tell me an Airport code.';
res.say(prompt).reprompt(prompt).shouldEndSession(false);
});
skill.intent('airportInfoIntent', {
'slots': {
'AIRPORTCODE': 'FAACODES'
},
'utterances': [
'{|flight|airport} {|delay|status} {|info} {|for} {-|AIRPORTCODE}'
]
},
function(req, res) {
var airportCode = req.slot('AIRPORTCODE');
var reprompt = 'Tell me an airport code to get delay information.';
if (_.isEmpty(airportCode)) {
var prompt = 'I didn\'t hear an airport code. Tell me an airport code.';
res.say(prompt).reprompt(reprompt).shouldEndSession(false);
return true;
} else {
var faaHelper = new FAADataHelper();
console.log(airportCode);
faaHelper.getAirportStatus(airportCode).then(function(airportStatus) {
console.log(airportStatus);
res.say(faaHelper.formatAirportStatus(airportStatus)).send();
}).catch(function(err) {
console.log(err.statusCode);
var prompt = 'I didn\'t have data for an airport code of ' +
airportCode;
res.say(prompt).reprompt(reprompt).shouldEndSession(false).send();
});
return false;
}
}
);
module.exports = skill;
and heres FAADataInfo.js
'use strict';
var _ = require('lodash');
var requestPromise = require('request-promise');
var ENDPOINT = 'http://services.faa.gov/airport/status/';
function FAADataHelper() {
}
FAADataHelper.prototype.getAirportStatus = function(airportCode) {
var options = {
method: 'GET',
uri: ENDPOINT + airportCode,
json: true
};
return requestPromise(options);
};
FAADataHelper.prototype.formatAirportStatus = function(aiportStatusObject) {
if (aiportStatusObject.delay === 'true') {
var template = _.template('There is currently a delay for ${airport}. ' +
'The average delay time is ${delay_time}.');
return template({
airport: aiportStatusObject.name,
delay_time: aiportStatusObject.status.avgDelay
});
} else {
//no delay
var template =_.template('There is currently no delay at ${airport}.');
return template({
airport: aiportStatusObject.name
});
}
};
module.exports = FAADataHelper;
This is the response that I get
{
"version": "1.0",
"response": {
"directives": [],
"shouldEndSession": true
},
"sessionAttributes": {},
"dummy": "text"
}

Answer 1

The alexa-app version that the tutorial is using is out of date. When using the latest alexa-app npm version (4.0.0), the return value for the .intent() function should be a Promise and not a boolean if you are running asynchronous functions.
In your index.js, add:
return faaHelper.getAirportStatus(....) {}.catch(){}
and remove the return false; after the catch.
Here's the full skill.intent() code
skill.intent('airportInfoIntent', {
'slots': {
'AIRPORTCODE': 'FAACODES'
},
'utterances': [
'{|flight|airport} {|delay|status} {|info} {|for} {-|AIRPORTCODE}'
]
},
function(req, res) {
var airportCode = req.slot('AIRPORTCODE');
var reprompt = 'Tell me an airport code to get delay information.';
if (_.isEmpty(airportCode)) {
var prompt = 'I didn\'t hear an airport code. Tell me an airport code.';
res.say(prompt).reprompt(reprompt).shouldEndSession(false);
return true;
} else {
var faaHelper = new FAADataHelper();
console.log(airportCode);
return faaHelper.getAirportStatus(airportCode).then(function(airportStatus) {
console.log(airportStatus);
res.say(faaHelper.formatAirportStatus(airportStatus)).send();
}).catch(function(err) {
console.log(err.statusCode);
var prompt = 'I didn\'t have data for an airport code of ' +
airportCode;
res.say(prompt).reprompt(reprompt).shouldEndSession(false).send();
});
//return false;
}
}
);