chatlib.py

chatlib.py allows beginners to make chatbots easily!

Try a demo at https://chatlibpy.evangorman.repl.run.

Instructions

To use chatlib.py, simply copy the chatlib.py file to your project folder. Then simply import the module "chatlib" in your script, like this:

import chatlib

You can then create your bot.

Tutorial

chatlib.py is fairly simple to use, once you've got the hang of it. Let's start with the basics.

We start by importing chatlib.py in our script, like this:

import chatlib

Now we can access the Bot class. Let's create our new bot, like this:

bot = chatlib.Bot("Bob")

This creates a bot named "Bob". Let's add some basic responses to Bob, for when he doesn't understand us:

bot.add_response("", "Sorry, I don't understand.")
bot.add_response("", "Uh...")

Let's add a mainloop to our bot, so we can talk to it:

bot.set_username(input("Username? ")) # Get username
print() # Print empty line
print(bot.name + ":", "Hi, I'm", bot.name + "!\n") # Print bot greeting

while True: # Forever
    r = input(bot.username + ": ") # Get user message
    print() # Print empty line
    print(bot.name + ":", bot.get_response(r)) # Print bot response
    print() # Print empty line

We can now try talking to our bot, like so:

User: Hi!

Bob: Uh...

User: Hello??

Bob: Sorry, I don't understand.

Hmm...this bot isn't very fun to talk to! It doesn't understand anything we say! Let's add a path to our bot so it can understand something. Let's add some code back above the mainloop.

bot.create_path("hello")

We now have a path called "hello". Let's add some keywords to this path for the bot to recognize.

bot.add_keyword("hello", "hello")
bot.add_keyword("hello", "hi")

Now the bot can recognize the words "hello" and "hi"! Let's add some things for the bot to say in response.

bot.add_response("hello", "Hi!")
bot.add_response("hello", "Hello!")

Let's try our bot now:

User: Hello!

Bob: Hi!

Already there's an improvement! But what if we want to check for an exact response from the user? Let's add a phrase to the path.

bot.add_phrase("hello", "(waves at robot)")

Now we can "wave" at the bot and it will respond accordingly! But when you use the word "waves" out of context, the robot will not say "hi", like what would happen in a real conversation. Here's an example:

User: (waves at robot)

Bob: Hello!

User: I like it when the flag waves.

Bob: Sorry, I don't understand.

What if you want your bot to ask a question? Let's make a new path, with a keyword and phrase (keywords can have spaces too, and allow for more varied user messages):

bot.create_path("howareyou")
bot.add_keyword("howareyou", "how are you")
bot.add_phrase("howareyou", "Are you doing well?")

Now we can add a question to our path.

bot.add_question("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?")

Questions can have paths too. Let's add one to our question:

bot.add_question_path("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good")

Notice that we refer to questions as the question itself. Let's add some keywords/phrases/responses to this path:

bot.add_question_keyword("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good", "good")
bot.add_question_phrase("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good", "I'm doing amazing!")
bot.add_question_response("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good", "Good to hear that!")
bot.add_question_response("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good", "That's great!")

Let's add a question path for if you're not feeling that great:

bot.add_question_path("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad")
bot.add_question_keyword("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "bad")
bot.add_question_keyword("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "terrible")
bot.add_question_keyword("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "awful")
bot.add_question_phrase("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "Not that great...")
bot.add_question_response("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "Sorry to hear that...")
bot.add_question_response("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "I hope you feel better soon.")

Let's test our chatbot now.

User: Hi!

Bob: Hello!

User: How are you?

Bob: I'm good, how about you?

User: I'm doing amazing!

Bob: Glad to hear that!

Already our bot feels a lot more "real"! Feel free to add to this bot, or make your own! Here's the final code for our bot:

import chatlib
bot = chatlib.Bot("Bob")

bot.add_response("", "Sorry, I don't understand.")
bot.add_response("", "Uh...")

bot.create_path("hello")
bot.add_keyword("hello", "hello")
bot.add_keyword("hello", "hi")
bot.add_phrase("hello", "(waves at robot)")
bot.add_response("hello", "Hi!")
bot.add_response("hello", "Hello!")

bot.create_path("howareyou")
bot.add_keyword("howareyou", "how are you")
bot.add_phrase("howareyou", "Are you doing well?")
bot.add_question("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?")

bot.add_question_path("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good")
bot.add_question_keyword("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good", "good")
bot.add_question_keyword("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good", "great")
bot.add_question_phrase("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good", "I'm doing amazing!")
bot.add_question_response("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good", "Good to hear that!")
bot.add_question_response("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "good", "That's great!")

bot.add_question_path("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad")
bot.add_question_keyword("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "bad")
bot.add_question_keyword("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "terrible")
bot.add_question_keyword("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "awful")
bot.add_question_phrase("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "Not that great...")
bot.add_question_response("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "Sorry to hear that...")
bot.add_question_response("howareyou", "I'm good, how about you?", "bad", "I hope you feel better soon.")

bot.set_username(input("Username? "))
print()
print(bot.name + ":", "Hi, I'm", bot.name + "!\n")

while True:
    r = input(bot.username + ": ")
    print()
    print(bot.name + ":", bot.get_response(r))
    print()

Docs

Listed here are all the functions, classes and values in chatlib.py, for your reference.

All paths, keywords, phrases, questions and paths, keywords and phrases inside questions should be listed in order of priority, from most important to least important.

The path for when no conditions for other paths are met is simply nothing, like

Bot.add_response("", response)

Classes

Bot(name) # the main class for your bot

Value(initial_value) # A value for

Functions

Bot.set_username(name) # set name of user

Bot.create_path(name) # create new dialogue option

Bot.add_keyword(path, keyword) # add keyword to path; keyword is checked for anywhere in response

Bot.add_phrase(path, phrase) # add phrase to path; checked if whole response is exactly phrase

Bot.add_response(path, response) # add response to path; randomly chosen for bot to say

Bot.add_question(path, question) # add question to path; sometimes chosen instead of response

Bot.add_question_path(path, question, name) # add path to question

Bot.add_question_keyword(path, question, question_path, keyword) # add keyword to path in question

Bot.add_question_phrase(path, question, question_path, phrase) # add phrase to path in question

Bot.add_question_keyword(path, question, question_path, response) # add response to path in question

Bot.get_response(message) # gets response from bot

Values

Bot.username # A Value object; user's name

Bot.name # A Value object; bot's name

Value.value # the value of a Value object; can be changed