Automate the Boring Stuff with Slackbot (ver. 2)

Takanori Suzuki

PyCon US 2022 / 2022 Apr 29

Agenda

Background and Motivation for Slackbot
How to create simple bot
How to create interactive bot
How to extend bot using libs and APIs

Photos 📷 Tweets 🐦 👍

#pyconus2022 / @takanory

Slide 💻

slides.takanory.net

Why ver. 2 in the title?

Back to 2020

PyCon US 2020 went online
us.pycon.org/2020/online/

Came back at 2022

Talk updated with latest information
I am very happy!!
Thanks to PyCon US staff!!

Who am I? 👤

Takanori Suzuki / 鈴木たかのり ( @takanory)
Vice Chair of PyCon JP Association
Director of BeProud Inc.
Python Boot Camp, Python mini Hack-a-thon, Python Bouldering Club

PyCon JP 2022 🇯🇵

2022.pycon.jp
Date: 2022 Oct 14 (Fri) - 16 (Sun)
Venue: Tokyo, Japan (in-person)

Background and Motivation

Conference Tasks

I held PyCon JP(2014-2016) as Chair
Conference tasks:
- 👨‍💻 Keynotes, Talks and Trainings
- 🎫 Ticket sales and reception
- 🏬 Venue and facility(WiFi, Video…)
- 🍱 Foods, ☕️ Coffee, 🧁 Snacks and 🍺 Beers

Staff ask me the same things

40+ staff
🐣 NEW staff : 🐔 OLD staff = 50 : 50

Programmer is Lazy

Let’s create a secretary!!

Goal

How to create simple bot
How to create interactive bot
How to extend bot using libs and APIs

Why Slack ?

Launching the Slack app at any time 💻 📱
Easy to access Slack
To do everything in Slack

You can create interactive bot

Simple integration with Incoming Webhooks 🪝

System overview

Create Incoming Webhooks Integration 🔧

Create Incoming Webhooks Integration

Generate Webhook URL
1. Create a Slack app
2. Activate Incoming Webhooks in the app
3. Add Webhook to Workspace
see: Sending messages using Incoming Webhooks

1. Create a Slack app

https://api.slack.com/apps

Enter name and choose workspace

Set app icon (optional)

see: Beer icons created by Freepik - Flaticon

2. Activate Incoming Webhooks

3. Add Webhook to Workspace

Click “Add New Webhook to Workspace”

Choose channel → Click “Allow”

Get Webhook URL: https://hooks.slack.com/...

Post message via Webhook URL 📬

Post message with cURL

$ curl -X POST -H 'Content-type: application/json' \
> --data '{"text":"Hello Slack!"}' \
> https://hooks.slack.com/services/T000...

Post message with Python

see: urllib.request

import json
from urllib import request

url = "https://hooks.slack.com/services/T000..."
message = {"text": "Hello from Python!"}
data = json.dumps(message).encode()
request.urlopen(url, data=data)

Post message with Requests

see: Requests

$ pip install requests

import requests

url = "https://hooks.slack.com/services/T000..."
message = {"text": "Hello from Requests!"}
r = requests.post(url, json=message)

Post message with Slack SDK

see: Python Slack SDK

$ pip install slack-sdk

from slack_sdk.webhook import WebhookClient

url = "https://hooks.slack.com/services/T000..."
webhook = WebhookClient(url)
r = webhook.send(text="Hello from Slack SDK!")

Formatting text

see: Formatting text for app surfaces

from slack_sdk.webhook import WebhookClient

url = "https://hooks.slack.com/services/T000..."
webhook = WebhookClient(url)
# *bold*, <url|text>, :emoji: and etc.
r = webhook.send(text="*Hello* from "
  "<https://slack.dev/python-slack-sdk/|Slack SDK>! :beer:")

Block Kit 🧱

Block Kit

see: Block Kit

Example of Block Kit

blocks = [{
    "type": "section",
    "text": {
         "text": "*THANK YOU* for coming to my talk !:tada: Please give me *feedback* about this talk :bow:",
         "type": "mrkdwn"
    },
    "fields": [
         {"type": "mrkdwn", "text": "*Love*"},
         {"type": "mrkdwn", "text": "*From*"},
         {"type": "plain_text", "text": ":beer:, Ferrets, LEGO"},
         {"type": "plain_text", "text": "Japan :jp:"},
    ],
}]
response = webhook.send(blocks=blocks)

Block Kit Builder

app.slack.com/block-kit-builder/

Summary of Incoming Webhooks

Easy to post messages from programs 📬
Create complex messages with Block Kit 🧱
But one-way (program➡️Webhook➡️Slack)

Interactive bot 🤝

Connection protocols

Events API over HTTP
Socket Mode
see: Choosing a protocol to connect to Slack

Events API over HTTP

see: Using the Slack Events API

Socket Mode

see: Intro to Socket Mode

Connection protocols

Events API over HTTP
Socket Mode 👈

Create bot user 🤖

Create bot user

Create bot user with Socket Mode
1. Create a Slack app (same procedure)
2. Enable Socket Mode
3. Subscribe bot event
4. Add Bot Token Scopes
5. Install App to Workspace
Invite bot user to Slack channels

1. Create a Slack app

Open https://api.slack.com/apps

Enter name and choose workspace

Set app icon (optional)

see: Beer icons created by Freepik - Flaticon

2. Enable Socket Mode

Select “Socket Mode” → Turn toggle on

Enter token name → Click “Generate”

Get app-level token: xapp-...

3. Subscribe bot event

Select “Event Subscriptions” → Turn toggle on

Add “message.channels” to bot events

4. Add Bot Token Scopes

Select “OAuth & Permissions”

Click “Add on OAuth Scope”

Add “chat:write” to Bot Token Scopes

5. Install App to Workspace

Select “Install App” → Click “Install to Workspace”

Switch OAuth screen → Click “Allow” button

Get Bot Token: xoxb-...

Invite bot user to channels

Long and Complex !! 🤯

App Manifest ⚙️

App Manifest

YAML-formatted configuration for Slack apps
see: Create and configure apps with manifests

Example of App Manifest

display_information:
  name: beerbot2
features:
  bot_user:
    display_name: beerbot2
    always_online: false
oauth_config:
  scopes:
    bot:
      - channels:history
      - chat:write
settings:
  event_subscriptions:
    bot_events:
      - message.channels
  interactivity:
    is_enabled: true
  org_deploy_enabled: false
  socket_mode_enabled: true
  token_rotation_enabled: false

Get App Manifest

Select “App Manifest” menu

Create new app with App Manifest

Select “From an app manifest”
Select workspace → Click “Next”

Enter app manifest YAML

Review app summary → Click “Create”

Install App to Workspace

Generate App-Level Token

Short and Reusable !! 🥳

Create bot with Bolt ⚡️

Bolt for Python

Python framework to build Slack app in a flash
Developped by Slack
https://github.com/slackapi/bolt-python
see:
- Bolt for Python
- The Bolt family of SDKs (JavaScript, Java)

Install Bolt for Python

$ mkdir beerbot
$ cd beerbot
$ python3.10 -m venv env
$ . env/bin/activate
(env) $ pip install slack-bolt

Create a simple bot with Bolt

app.py

import os
from slack_bolt import App
from slack_bolt.adapter.socket_mode import SocketModeHandler

app = App(token=os.environ["SLACK_BOT_TOKEN"])

# match any message contains "Hi"
@app.message("Hi")
def handle_hi_message(message, say):
    say("Hi!!! I am beerbot! :beer:")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    app_token = os.environ["SLACK_APP_TOKEN"]
    SocketModeHandler(app, app_token).start()

Running bot

# Set 2 tokens in environment variables
(env) $ export SLACK_APP_TOKEN=xapp-...
(env) $ export SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-...
(env) $ python app.py
⚡️ Bolt app is running!

I can interact with the bot ! 🎉

Extend bot 🛠

`@app.message()` decolator

# match any message contains "Hi"
@app.message("Hi")
def handle_hi_message(message, say):
    say("Hi!!! I am beerbot! :beer:")


# match any message contains "cheers"
@app.message("cheers")
def handle_cheers_message(mesasge, say):
    say("Cheers! :beers:")

mention

# mention
@app.message("morning")
def handle_morning_message(message, say):
    user = message["user"]  # get user ID
    say(f"Good morning <@{user}>!")

Using regular expression

import random
import re

@app.message(re.compile(r"choice (.*)"))
def handle_choice(say, context):
    # get matched text from context["matches"]
    words = context["matches"][0].split()
    say(random.choice(words))

Using regular expression

@app.message(re.compile(r"(\d+)\s*(beer|tea)"))
def handle_beer_or_tea(say, context):
    count = int(context["matches"][0])
    drink = context["matches"][1]
    say(f":{drink}:" * count)

Block Kit support

@app.message("follow me")
def handle_follow_me(message, say):
    blocks = [{
        "type": "section",
        "text": {
            "type": "mrkdwn",
            "text": "*Takanori Suzuki*\nFollow me! <https://twitter.com/takanory|@takanory>"
        },
        "accessory": {
            "type": "image",
            "image_url": "https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/192722095/kurokuri_400x400.jpg",
            "alt_text": "takanory"
        }}]
    say(blocks=blocks)

Logging

import logging
logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)

@app.message("log")
def handle_log(message, say, logger):
    logger.debug(f"message: {message['text']}")
    say("logs exported!")

$ python app.py
⚡️ Bolt app is running!
DEBUG:app.py:handle_log:message: log
DEBUG:app.py:handle_log:message: please write log

Events and Scopes 🔭

Events and Scopes

Can only receive events in Bot Events
Can only execute APIs allowed by Bot Token Scopes

Current Bot Events and Scopes

Events

message.channels:

message posted to public channels
Scopes

channels:history:

View messages in public channels

chat:write:

Post message

Current Bot Events and Scopes

Cannot read/write messages on private channels

Add Events and Scopes for private channels

Select “Event Subscriptions” → Click “Add Bot User Event”
Add message.groups event→ Click “Save Changes”

Add Events and Scopes for private channels

Select “OAuth & Permissions”
groups:history scope is automatically added

Add Events and Scopes for private channels

Reinstall app to workspace

Add Events and Scopes for private channels

Bot can read/write messages in private channel

To know user joined a channel

Add member_joined_channel event → Reinstall app



# A user joined a public or private channel
@app.event("member_joined_channel")
def member_joined(event, say):
    user = event["user"]  # get user ID
    say(f"Welcome <@{user}>! :tada:")

Add Emoji reaction

Add reactions:write scope → Reinstall app



@app.message("beer")
def add_beer_emoji(client, message):
    # add reaction beer emoji
    client.reactions_add(
        channel=message["channel"],
        timestamp=message["ts"],
        name="beer",
    )

Summary of Events and Scopes

To receive new events
To use new API with new scopes
Add events and/or scopes → Reinstall app
see: Events API types
see: Permission scopes

Case studies 📚

Calculator function using SymPy 🔢

Calculator function using SymPy

Motivation
- I feel heavy to call a calculator app on my smartphone
- It seems useful if Slack as a calculator

System overview

about SymPy

SymPy: Python library for symbolic mathematics
www.sympy.org

$ pip install sympy

calc() function using Sympy

from sympy import sympify, SympifyError

@app.message(re.compile(r"^([-+*/^%!().\d\s]+)$"))
def calc(message, context, say):
    try:
        formula = context["matches"][0]
        result = sympify(formula)  # Simplifies the formula
        if result.is_Integer:
            answer = int(result)  # Convert to integer value
        else:
            answer = float(result)  # Convert to float value
        say(f"{answer:,}")
    except SympifyError:
        pass

Slack as a calculator !!

Plus-plus feature using Peewee ORM 👍

Plus-plus feature using Peewee ORM

Motivation
- In PyCon JP, I want to make a culture that appreciates each other staff 👍

System overview

about Peewee

Simple and small ORM.
- a small, expressive ORM
- supports sqlite, mysql and postgresql
docs.peewee-orm.com

$ pip install peewee

plusplus_model.py

from peewee import SqliteDatabase, Model, CharField, IntegerField

db = SqliteDatabase("plusplus.db")

class Plusplus(Model):
    name = CharField(primary_key=True)  # fields
    counter = IntegerField(default=0)

    class Meta:
        database = db

db.connect()
db.create_tables([Plusplus], safe=True)

plusplus() function using Peewee

from plusplus_model import Plusplus

# match "word++" pattern
@app.message(re.compile(r"^(\w+)\+\+"))
def plusplus(say, context):
    name = context["matches"][0]
    # Get or create object
    plus, created = Plusplus.get_or_create(
        name=name.lower(),
        defaults={'counter': 0}
    )
    plus.counter += 1
    plus.save()
    say(f"Thank you {name}! (count: {plus.counter})")

I can appreciate it!

Search issues with Jira APIs 🔎

Search issues with Jira APIs

Motivation
- Jira is very useful
- Jira Web is slow
- Search issues without Jira Web

System overview

about Python Jira

Python library to work with Jira APIs
jira.readthedocs.io

$ pip install jira

Authentication

Create an API token
- see: Manage API tokens for your Atlassian account

from jira import JIRA

url = 'https://jira.atlassian.com/'
jira = JIRA(url, basic_auth=('email', 'API token'))

see: 2.1.2. Authentication

Search issues

@app.message(re.compile(r"^jira (.*)$"))
def jira_search(message, context, say):
    keywords = context["matches"][0]
    jql = f'text ~ "{keywords}" order by created desc'
    text = ""
    # get 5 recent issues
    for issue in jira.search_issues(jql, maxResults=5):
        issue_id = issue.key
        url = issue.permalink()
        summary = issue.fields.summary
        text += f"* <{url}|{issue_id}> {summary}\n"
    if not text:
        text = "No issues found"
    say(text)

see: 2.1.6. Searching
see: JQL: Get started with advanced search in Jira

Free from Jira web!

Create multiple issues from a template 📝

Create multiple issues from a template

Motivation
- In pycamp event, 20+ issues are required for each event
- Copying issues by hand is painful
- Jira Web is slow (again)

System overview

Google Authorization is Complex

Create a Google Cloud project
- Enable API(in this case: Google Sheets API)
- Download credentials.json

Install Google Client Library

$ pip install google-api-python-client \
  google-auth-httplib2 google-auth-oauthlib

Download quickstart.py from GitHub

Google Authorization is Complex

Run quickstart.py
- Select your Google account in Web browser
- Click “Accept” button
- Get token.json (finish!!)

$ python quickstart.py
Please visit this URL to authorize this application: https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth?....
Name, Major:
Alexandra, English
:

see: Python Quickstart | Sheets API

Issue template

Get Spreadsheet data

from google.oauth2.credentials import Credentials
from googleapiclient.discovery import build

SCOPES = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets.readonly"]
SHEET = "1i3YQPObe3ZC_i1Jalo44_2_..."

@app.message("create issues")
def creaete_issues(message, say):
    creds = Credentials.from_authorized_user_file('token.json', SCOPES)
    service = build('sheets', 'v4', credentials=creds)
    sheet = service.spreadsheets()
    result = sheet.values().get(spreadsheetId=SHEET, range="A2:C4").execute()
    for row in result.get("values", []):
        say(f"* Title: {row[0]}, Delta: {row[1]}")

see: Method: spreadsheets.values.get | Sheets API

Get Spreadsheet data

Create Jira issues

def creaete_issues(message, say):
    # --snip--
    today = datetime.date.today()
    for row in result.get("values", []):
        duedate = today + datetime.timedelta(days=int(row[1]))
        issue_dict = {"project": {"key": "ISSHA"},
                      "summary": row[0],
                      "description": row[2],
                      "duedate": f"{duedate:%Y-%m-%d}",
                      "issuetype": {"name": "Task"}}
        issue = jira.create_issue(fields=issue_dict)
        url = issue.permalink()
        say(f"* Create: <{url}|{issue.key}> {row[0]}\n")

see: 2.1.4. Issues

Free from copying issues!

Account management of Google Workspace 👥

Account management of Google Workspace

Motivation
- PyCon JP Association use pycon.jp domain with Google Workspace
- I only use Google Admin web occasionally
- I forgot to use admin screen

System overview

Update Google Authorization

Update a Google Cloud project
- add Directory API
- re-download credentials.json
Remove token.json
Add Directory API quickstart.py
- Re-run quickstart.py
- Get new token.json

Get user list

SCOPES = ["https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.user"]

@app.message("user_list")
def user_list(message, say):
    creds = Credentials.from_authorized_user_file("token.json", SCOPES)
    service = build("admin", "directory_v1", credentials=creds)

    users_list = service.users().list(
        orderBy="email", maxResults=10, customer="my_customer").execute()

    for user in users_list.get("users", []):
        email = user["primaryEmail"]
        fullname = user["name"]["fullName"]
        say(f"* {email} {fullname}")

see: Method: users.list | Directory API

Get user list

Add user

@app.message(re.compile(r"user_add (\w+) (\w+) (\w+) (\w+)"))
def insert_user(message, say, context):
    creds = Credentials.from_authorized_user_file("token.json", SCOPES)
    service = build("admin", "directory_v1", credentials=creds)

    body = {
        "primaryEmail": context["matches"][0] + "@pycon.jp",
        "password": context["matches"][1],
        "name": {
            "givenName": context["matches"][2],
            "familyName": context["matches"][3]
        }}
    service.users().insert(body=body).execute()
    say(f"User {body['primaryEmail']} created")

see: Method: users.insert | Directory API

Add user

I can forget Google Admin!

Summary

Simple bot using Incoming Webhooks
Interactive bot using Bolt for Python
Extend bot using libraries and APIs

Next Step 🪜

Let’s make your Slackbot
Let’s connect with libraries and APIs
Automate your Boring Stuff with Slackbot

Thank you! 🙏

@takanory

slides.takanory.net

github.com/takanory/slides/tree/master/slides/20220429pyconus/code

translate command

$ pip install deepl

import deepl

translator = deepl.Translator(os.environ["DEEPL_AUTH_KEY"])

@app.message(re.compile(r"^translate (.*)"))
def translate(message, context, say):
    text = context["matches"][0]
    result = translator.translate_text(text,
                                       target_lang="EN-US")
    say(result.text)

Thank you! 🙏

@takanory

slides.takanory.net

github.com/takanory/slides/tree/master/slides/20220429pyconus/code

Automate the Boring Stuff with Slackbot (ver. 2)

Agenda

Photos 📷 Tweets 🐦 👍

Slide 💻

Why ver. 2 in the title?

Back to 2020

Came back at 2022

Who am I? 👤

PyCon JP 2022 🇯🇵

Background and Motivation

Conference Tasks

Staff ask me the same things

Programmer is Lazy

Let’s create a secretary!!

Goal

Why Slack ?

You can create interactive bot

Simple integration with Incoming Webhooks 🪝

System overview

Create Incoming Webhooks Integration 🔧

Create Incoming Webhooks Integration

1. Create a Slack app

2. Activate Incoming Webhooks

3. Add Webhook to Workspace

Post message via Webhook URL 📬

Post message with cURL

Post message with Python

Post message with Requests

Post message with Slack SDK

Formatting text

Block Kit 🧱

Block Kit

Example of Block Kit

Block Kit Builder

Summary of Incoming Webhooks

Interactive bot 🤝

Connection protocols

Events API over HTTP

Socket Mode

Connection protocols

Create bot user 🤖

Create bot user

1. Create a Slack app

2. Enable Socket Mode

3. Subscribe bot event

4. Add Bot Token Scopes

5. Install App to Workspace

Invite bot user to channels

Long and Complex !! 🤯

App Manifest ⚙️

App Manifest

Example of App Manifest

Get App Manifest

Create new app with App Manifest

Short and Reusable !! 🥳

Create bot with Bolt ⚡️

Bolt for Python

Install Bolt for Python

Create a simple bot with Bolt

Running bot

I can interact with the bot ! 🎉

Extend bot 🛠

@app.message() decolator

mention

Using regular expression

Using regular expression

Block Kit support

Logging

Events and Scopes 🔭

Events and Scopes

Current Bot Events and Scopes

Current Bot Events and Scopes

Add Events and Scopes for private channels

Add Events and Scopes for private channels

Add Events and Scopes for private channels

Add Events and Scopes for private channels

To know user joined a channel

Add Emoji reaction

Summary of Events and Scopes

Case studies 📚

`@app.message()` decolator