General Bots BASIC using HEAR and TALK keywords provides a easy to write bot language accessible to everyone and used as incomer for people willing to make their own bot.
A BASIC Isolated Virtual Machine Architecture, like creating a conversation Node.js application just using BASIC. All code will run isolated on a Node, (https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/14840374/200206510-9f5bd788-e710-4932-9ed8-a09599656cea.png).
One of the key security features of the General Bots platform is its use of isolated virtual machines (VMs) for each dialog. This architecture provides a robust layer of security and isolation, significantly reducing the risk of cross-contamination or unauthorized access between different bot interactions.
### How It Works
1.**Individual VM per Dialog**: Each time a user initiates a dialog with a bot, the platform spawns a new, isolated virtual machine dedicated to that specific interaction.
2.**Limited Capabilities**: These VMs are configured with restricted capabilities, adhering to the principle of least privilege. This means that each VM has only the minimum permissions and access necessary to perform its intended functions.
3.**Sandboxing**: The VM acts as a sandbox environment, containing the execution of bot logic and preventing it from affecting other parts of the system or other user interactions.
### Security Benefits
- **Isolation**: If a security breach occurs within one dialog, it remains contained within that specific VM, protecting other user interactions and the broader system.
- **Resource Control**: The VM architecture allows for fine-grained control over resource allocation, preventing any single interaction from monopolizing system resources.
- **Clean Slate**: Each new dialog starts with a fresh VM instance, eliminating the risk of data leakage between different user interactions.
- **Easier Updates and Patches**: Security updates can be applied to the VM template, ensuring that all new dialogs benefit from the latest security measures.
### Considerations for Bot Developers
1.**Performance Impact**: While the isolated VM approach significantly enhances security, it may introduce slight latency in bot responses. Developers should optimize their bot logic to work efficiently within this environment.
2.**Stateless Design**: Since each dialog runs in a new VM instance, developers should design their bots to be stateless or use external state management systems that can be securely accessed from within the VM.
3.**Resource Awareness**: Developers should be mindful of the limited resources available within each VM and design their bots accordingly, avoiding resource-intensive operations where possible.
4.**Security-First Mindset**: Even with the isolated VM architecture, developers should continue to follow security best practices in their bot development, such as input validation and secure handling of sensitive data.
By leveraging this isolated VM architecture, the General Bots platform provides a secure environment for bot interactions, giving both developers and users confidence in the system's integrity and data protection capabilities.
To organize the instructions functionally, I'll group them into five categories: **Basic Interaction**, **Data Handling**, **Web Automation**, **File Management**, and **Advanced Operations**. Each group will include relevant instructions with examples.
| WAIT _seconds_ | Wait a number of seconds before continuing the conversation. | <pre>WAIT 10 <br/> TALK "Waited for 10 seconds."</pre> |
| confirm _variable_ (Comming soon) | Waits for confirmation like 'yes', 'y', 'yeah' and returns true or false | <pre>HEAR confirm <br/>TALK "Please confirm if you want to proceed." <br/> if confirm THEN TALK "Confirmed." ELSE TALK "Not confirmed."</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS EMAIL | Hears and validates an email address from the user. | <pre>HEAR email AS EMAIL <br/> TALK "Email received: " + email.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS DATE | Hears and validates a date from the user. | <pre>HEAR date AS DATE <br/> TALK "Date received: " + date.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS NAME | Hears and validates a name from the user. | <pre>HEAR name AS NAME <br/> TALK "Name received: " + name.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS INTEGER | Hears and validates an integer from the user. | <pre>HEAR age AS INTEGER <br/> TALK "Age received: " + age.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS BOOLEAN | Hears and validates a boolean (true/false) from the user. | <pre>HEAR agree AS BOOLEAN <br/> TALK "Agreement status: " + agree.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS HOUR | Hears and validates an hour from the user. | <pre>HEAR hour AS HOUR <br/> TALK "Hour received: " + hour.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS MONEY | Hears and validates a monetary amount from the user. | <pre>HEAR amount AS MONEY <br/> TALK "Amount received: " + amount.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS MOBILE | Hears and validates a mobile number from the user. | <pre>HEAR mobile AS MOBILE <br/> TALK "Mobile number received: " + mobile.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS ZIPCODE | Hears and validates a ZIP code from the user. | <pre>HEAR zipcode AS ZIPCODE <br/> TALK "ZIP Code received: " + zipcode.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS "Abacate", "Maçã", "Morango" | Displays the specified menu and waits for user selection. | <pre>HEAR fruit AS "Abacate", "Maçã", "Morango" <br/> TALK "You selected: " + fruit.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS LANGUAGE | Hears and validates a language code from the user. | <pre>HEAR language AS LANGUAGE <br/> TALK "Language selected: " + language.</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS LOGIN (internal) | Waits for Active Directory login integration before proceeding. | <pre>HEAR user AS LOGIN <br/> TALK "User logged in: " + user.</pre> |
| _variable_ = GET "_file_.xlsx", "_A1:A1_" | Gets the value of the cell specified in range address | <pre>name = GET "data.xlsx", "A1:A1" <br/> TALK "The value is " + name.</pre> |
| SET "_file_.xlsx", "_A1:A1_", 42 | Sets the value of the cell specified in range address | <pre>SET "data.xlsx", "A1:A1", 42 <br/> TALK "Value set in Excel."</pre> |
| _variable_ = GET "https://server/query" | Gets the value from the specified web service | <pre>result = GET "https://api.example.com/data" <br/> TALK "Data received: " + result.</pre> |
| POST "https://", _data_ | Sends data to the specified URL | <pre>POST "https://api.example.com/submit", "data" <br/> TALK "Data posted successfully."</pre> |
| data = SELECT a, SUM(b) AS b FROM data GROUP BY a | Use SQL to manipulate a data variable returned from FIND or an array | <pre>data = FIND "sales_data.xlsx", "A1:B10" <br/> result = SELECT product, SUM(amount) AS total FROM data GROUP BY product <br/> TALK "Query result: " + result.</pre> |
| file = data AS IMAGE | Converts a two-dimensional array into an image file. | <pre>file = data AS IMAGE <br/> SAVE file AS "sales_chart.png" <br/> TALK "Chart saved as image."</pre> |
| file = data AS PDF | Converts a two-dimensional array into a PDF file. | <pre>file = data AS PDF <br/> SAVE file AS "sales_report.pdf" <br/> TALK "Report saved as PDF."</pre> |
| NEW OBJECT | Creates a new object to be used with REST calls. | <pre>data = NEW OBJECT <br/> data.color = "blue" <br/> TALK "New object created."</pre> |
| NEW ARRAY | Creates a new array. | <pre>data = NEW ARRAY <br/> data[0] = "red" <br/> TALK "New array created."</pre> |
| QRCODE | Creates a QR code from specified text. | <pre>file = QRCODE "https://example.com" <br/> SAVE file AS "qrcode.png" <br/> TALK "QR Code generated."</pre> |
| FORMAT value, format | Formats a value according to the specified format. | <pre>d = FORMAT today, "YYYY-MM-dd" <br/> TALK "Formatted date: " + d.</pre> |
| ADD NOTE | Adds a note to a file named Notes.xls of .gbdata. | <pre>ADD NOTE "This is a new note." <br/> TALK "Note added."</pre> |
| ALLOW ROLE | Check if role specified in People sheet (.gbdata) will have access. | <pre>ALLOW ROLE "Admin" <br/> TALK "Role access granted."</pre> |
| page = OPEN _url_ [AS #namedSession] | Web automation retrieval of a web page, saving the session for reuse. | <pre>page = OPEN "https://example.com" AS #session1<br/> TALK "Page opened and session saved."</pre> |
| \* _variable_ = GET page, cssSelector, "body > img" | Retrieves an element within an IFRAME specified by selector. | <pre>image = GET page, "#profile-picture" <br/> TALK "Profile picture retrieved."</pre> |
| \* SET page, cssSelector, value | Defines a field to a value on the webpage specified by selector. | <pre>SET page, "#username", "user123" <br/> TALK "Username set."</pre> |
| \* CLICK page, cssSelector | Clicks on an element inside the web page being automated. | <pre>CLICK page, "#submit-button" <br/> TALK "Submit button clicked."</pre> |
| \* file = DOWNLOAD _url_ | Downloads a file from the specified URL. | <pre>file = DOWNLOAD "https://example.com/file.zip" <br/> SAVE file AS "downloads/file.zip" <br/> TALK "File downloaded."</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS FILE | Returns a file uploaded by the user to be saved. | <pre>HEAR file AS FILE <br/> SAVE file AS "uploads/myfile.pdf" <br/> TALK "File uploaded and saved."</pre> |
| HEAR _variable_ AS AUDIO | Returns an audio file uploaded by the user to be saved. | <pre>HEAR audio AS AUDIO <br/> SAVE audio AS "recordings/audiofile.mp3" <br/> TALK "Audio received and saved."</pre> |
| INCLUDE file | Includes a file into .gbdialog. | <pre>INCLUDE "script.gbdialog" <br/> TALK "File included."</pre> |
| UPLOAD file | Uploads a file to a storage blob, like Azure Storage. | <pre>UPLOAD "path/to/file.pdf" <br/> TALK "File uploaded to cloud storage."</pre> |
| DIR path | Returns a list of files in the specified directory. | <pre>files = DIR "uploads/" <br/> TALK "Files in directory: " + files.</pre> |
| FILL | Fills data into a Word document to be exported as images. | <pre>FILL "template.docx", data <br/> TALK "Document filled and exported."</pre> |
| SAVE _variable_ AS "path/file" | Saves the specified variable as a file at the given path. | <pre>SAVE file AS "path/to/save/file.pdf" <br/> TALK "File saved."</pre> |
| TABLE name ON connection | Defines a TABLE on the specified storage (database) connection. | <pre>TABLE "Sales" ON "DBConnection" <br/> TALK "Table defined."</pre> |
| field AS dataType | Defines a field in TABLE. Eg.: name string(50). | <pre>field = "price" AS number(10,2) <br/> TALK "Field defined as number."</pre> |
| CONTINUATION TOKEN | Returns the value of the continuation token associated with the current dialog. | <pre>token = CONTINUATION TOKEN <br/> TALK "Continuation token: " + token.</pre> |
| NEW OBJECT | Creates a new object to be used with REST calls. | <pre>data = NEW OBJECT <br/> data.color = "blue" <br/> TALK "New object created."</pre> |
| NEW ARRAY | Creates a new array. | <pre>data = NEW ARRAY <br/> data[0] = "red" <br/> TALK "New array created."</pre> |
| SET OPERATOR [OR] | Defines OR operations on multiple FIND filters separated by comma, eg.: FIND "A1=2", "A3=4" |
| SET FILTER TYPE [comma separated list of types]| Uses the specified type in next FIND calls, disabling auto detection of filter type, eg.: SET FILTER TYPE date, string |
| SET PAGED "auto" or "none" | Defines auto pagging for HTTP REST GET calls. |
TALK "General Bots Labs presents FISCAL DATA SHOW BY BASIC"
TALK "Gift Contributions to Reduce the Public Debt API (https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/gift-contributions-reduce-debt-held-by-public/gift-contributions-to-reduce-the-public-debt)"
page = GET HTML "https://github.com/GeneralBots/BotServer/issues/new"
SET page, "#issue_title", row.title
SET page, "#issue_body", row.body
CLICK page, "#new_issue > div > div > div.Layout-main > div > div.timeline-comment.color-bg-default.hx_comment-box--tip > div > div.flex-items-center.flex-justify-end.d-none.d-md-flex.mx-2.mb-2.px-0 > button"
DESCRIPTION "This is the enrollment process, called when the user wants to enroll. Once all information is collected, confirm the details and inform them that their enrollment request has been successfully submitted. Provide a polite and professional tone throughout the interaction."
These are sample programs in General Bots BASIC, each presented with a modern and engaging approach. The first 20 examples are simple, while the next 20 delve into more advanced concepts. Check the list
of [templates](https://github.com/GeneralBots/BotServer/tree/main/templates)
The set of 20 advanced General Bots BASIC programs that integrate web services, web automation, file handling, and dynamic interactions. These samples are designed to showcase the full potential of General Bots BASIC for advanced users. These advanced samples illustrate a range of functionalities that can be implemented with General Bots BASIC, from data manipulation and web automation to dynamic content generation and complex file handling.
page = GET HTML "https://github.com/GeneralBots/BotServer/issues/new"
SET page, "#issue_title", row.title
SET page, "#issue_body", row.body
CLICK page, "#new_issue > div > div > div.Layout-main > div > div.timeline-comment.color-bg-default.hx_comment-box--tip > div > div.flex-items-center.flex-justify-end.d-none.d-md-flex.mx-2.mb-2.px-0 > button"
jokes = ["Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!", "Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field!"]
