Alexa-Class

A simple C++ class which can handle Alexa requests and responses.

This class is lightly tested and the main purpose is to get more familiar with cpp.

Prerequisite

• Port forwarding must be used to have incomming connetions from 443 point to 8080 (Or other configured port) on the server
• Amazon Developer account
• A skill with an endpoint pointing to the server
  • It is possible to use noip to create a URL for the skill to use

Dependencies

• eidheim/Simple-Web-Server (Placed in ~/)
• Boost - Used for Asio and property_tree
  • Standalone Asio works too
• OpenSSL

With my setup, OpenSSL 1.1.0, boost 1.62.0 and g++-6 are used

Usage

See test/example.cpp for basic usage

Build and run example

Initialize Class

Alexa::AlexaSkill skill(ApplicationID, path, certificate, privateKey, port);

The above is how one would first initialize the class.

• Before alexa can connect to the server, the Applicaion ID must be retrieved to filter unwanted requests. This will be put in place of ApplicationID.

• path is the path in the endpoint which is called. For example if the endpoint was alexa.skill.com and alexa is calling alexa.skill.com/testingSkill path would then be testingSkill.

Note: testingSkill work and /testingSkill does not. If there is no path leave an empty string.

• To use a custom endpoint for a skill a self signed certificate must be uploaded for security purposes. certificate is the path to this certificate. More information on this can be found here.

• privateKeyis the path to the key created in pair with the certificate above.

• port is optional. Default it 8080.

Configure Server

TODO: Have setupServer() run when calling start()

skill.setupServer();

This function configures the server and prepares it to start

Add Intent Handlers

skill.intents["TestTalking"] = [](std::shared_ptr<Alexa::Request> request, std::shared_ptr<Alexa::Response> response) {
    std::cout << "IN TEST TALKING CALLBACK FUNCTION" << std::endl;
    response->speech("Talking has been tested");
    response->simpleCard("Testing", "Talking has been tested");
};

---

skill.intents["TestTalking"]

• This will create an item in a map/dictionary

[](std::shared_ptr<Alexa::Request> request, std::shared_ptr<Alexa::Response> response)

• This creates a lambda function with request and response as arguments

response->speech("Talking has been tested");

• This takes the response argument and calls the function speech() More information on these function will be provided below

response->simpleCard("Testing", "Talking has been tested");

• This takes the response argument and calls the function simpleCard()

Start the Server

skill.start();

This simply starts the server by joining the server to a thread.

The Request Class

This class is for getting infomation from the request

---

std::string getAppId();

• Returns the application id used for verification

std::string getType();

• Returns the type of request from amazon (IntentRequest, LaunchRequest, SessionEndedRequest, etc)

More info on requests (Scroll up slightly)

More info on what the request class contains

std::string getIntent();

• Gets the name of the intent IF the request is a type IntentRequest

The Response Class

This is what is used to make alexa respond

---

Speech

These functions will affect how alexa will respond verbally

---

void speech(std::string s);

• Alexa will attempt to say what is given
• std::string s
  • A string of what alexa will respond with

void ssml(std::string s);

• Alexa will attpempt to say what is given
• std::string s
  • A string of what alexa will respond with formatted in SSML

Card

These functions affect the card that can show in the alexa app

---

void simpleCard(std::string title, std::string content);

• Creates a simple card on the dashboard of the alexa app
• std::string title
  • The title of the card
• std::string content
  • The text which will show in the card

void standardCard(std::string title, std::string text, std::string image);

• Creates a standard card on the dashboard of the alexa app
• std::string title
  • Title of the card
• std::string text
  • The text displayed in the card
• std::string image
  • The link to an image to be diplayed on the card

void standardCard(std::string title, std::string text, std::string small, std::string large);

• Creates a standard card on the dashboard of the alexa app
• std::string title
  • Title of the card
• std::string text
  • The text displayed in the card
• std::string small
  • The link to a small image to be diplayed on the card
• std::string large
  • The link to a large image to be diplayed on the card

More info on cards

Info on image sizes

Reprompting

Alexa reprompting for a answer

---

void reprompt(std::string s);

• Makes a reprompt saying when alexa does not understand the user's speech
• std::string s
  • A string of what alexa will reprompt with

void reprompt(std::string s);

• Makes a reprompt saying when alexa does not understand the user's speech
• std::string s
  • A string of what alexa will reprompt with formatted in SSML

Session

void shouldEndSession(bool b);

• bool b
  • Whether to not this response should end the session

More info on what the response classes affects