telegram-bot-server

An extendable webserver for communication with the Telegram Bot API.

Description

telegram-bot-server is a Node.js powered webserver with MongoDB integration for running your own Telegram Bot as well as a REST API. With the help of Telegram bots you can do quite a lot of useful things.

Just to give some examples:

Gathering weather information based on your location
Fetching arrival / departure times of public transportation
Sending automated messages
IoT

You can make your bot public for other users or just use it for private purposes.

This application provides one example bot command (ping) innately but you can easily integrate your own ones into the current system.

See the Commands section for more information.

Prerequisites

Node.js
MongoDB
Telegram Bot
Internet connection

Installation

First of all, create a new MongoDB database:

use telegram-api-server

Afterwards, copy the environment file and enter your secret information:

cp .env.example .env

Now, run the following commands to install the node modules and start the webserver:

yarn install
yarn build
yarn start

Commands

The following describes how you can integrate a new command into the existing system. Commands are triggered via the Telegram chat by sending /YourCommand to your bot.

You can find more information about Telegram bots and commands here.

First, create a new directory and file for your new command:

(Replace {YourCommand} with your desired command name)

 mkdir ./src/api/telegram/commands/{YourCommand}
 touch ./src/api/telegram/commands/{YourCommand}/index.ts

Next, open the new created file for your command and enter its code:

(Again: Replace YourCommand with your desired command name)

import nodeTelegramBotApi from 'node-telegram-bot-api';

import { ICommand, AbstractCommand } from '../AbstractCommand';

/**
 *  /YourCommand command
 */

export class YourCommand extends AbstractCommand implements ICommand {
	public constructor(bot: nodeTelegramBotApi) {
		super(bot /* Enter here a RegEx that matches your command */);
	}

	public exec(msg: nodeTelegramBotApi.Message, match: RegExpExecArray | null): void {
		// Enter here your command's behavior when it's called inside a Telegram chat

		// Send the response (if desired) to the client
		this.bot.sendMessage(msg.chat.id /* response msg */);
	}
}

The method exec get's automatically called by the Telegram API when you use your command inside a chat. Enter here the command's behavior and send a response back to the client if desired.

Remember you can do whatever you want. Like: calling external APIs, filesystem opterations, database interaction...

Last but not least register the new created command in ./src/api/telegram/index.ts.

First of all, import the command class from above at the file's top:

import { YourCommand } from './commands/YourCommand';

And create new instance of it inside TelegramApi's constructor:

new YourCommand(this.bot).register();

That's it! You created your own bot command.

Now, when you call your command inside a Telegram Chat: /YourCommand your code should be executed.

License