General Bot is a strongly typed LLM conversational platform package based chat bot server focused in convention over configuration and code-less approaches, which brings software packages and application server concepts to help parallel bot development.
Before you embark on your General Bots journey, ensure you have the following tools installed:
- **Node.js (version 20 or later)**: General Bots leverages the latest features of Node.js to provide a robust and efficient runtime environment. Download it from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org/en/download/).
- **Git (latest stable version)**: Essential for version control and collaborating on bot projects. Get it from [git-scm.com](https://git-scm.com/downloads).
### Quick Start Guide
Follow these steps to get your General Bots server up and running:
This command creates a local copy of the General Bots server repository on your machine.
2. Navigate to the project directory:
```bash
cd BotServer
```
This changes your current directory to the newly cloned BotServer folder.
3. Install dependencies and start the server:
```bash
npm install
npm run start
```
The `npm install` command installs all necessary dependencies for the project. `npm run start` builds your bot server locally and serves it through a development server.
### Accessing Your Bot
Once the server is running, you can access your bot at `http://localhost:4242/`. This local server allows you to interact with your bot and test its functionality in real-time. If you want to publish
without password, define [ADMIN_OPEN_PUBLISH](https://github.com/GeneralBots/BotBook/master/docs/chapter-07-gbot-reference#enviroment-variables-reference) as true in BotServer .env file.
To publish bot packages and initiate a conversation with the bot, use the command:
```
/publish
```
This command prepares your bot packages for use and allows you to start interacting with your bot immediately.
## Development Workflow
### 1. Project Structure
The General Bots server follows a modular architecture designed for flexibility and scalability. Here's an overview of the main directories:
```
BotServer/
├── packages/
│ ├── core.gbapp/ # Core bot functionality
│ ├── kb.gbapp/ # Knowledge base packages
├── src / # Main entry point
└── package.json # Project configuration
```
This structure allows for easy navigation and management of different aspects of your bot project.
### 2. Creating Custom Packages
One of the strengths of General Bots is its extensibility. You can create custom packages to enhance your bot's capabilities:
- **.gbkb (Knowledge Base packages)**: Store and manage your bot's knowledge and responses.
- **.gbtheme (Theme packages)**: Customize the visual appearance of your bot interface.
- **.gbapp (Application packages)**: Add new features and functionalities to your bot.
Each package type has its own structure and purpose, which we'll explore in depth in their respective chapters.
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)"
result = GET "https://api.fiscaldata.treasury.gov/services/api/fiscal_service/v2/accounting/od/gift_contributions?page[size]=500"
data = result.data
data = SELECT YEAR(record_date) as Yr, SUM(CAST(contribution_amt AS NUMBER)) AS Amount FROM data GROUP BY YEAR(record_date)
TALK "Demonstration of Gift Contributions with AS IMAGE keyword"
SET THEME dark
png = data as IMAGE
SEND FILE png
DELAY 5
TALK " Demonstration of Gift Contributions CHART keyword"
<ahref="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/ask?tags=generalbots">:speech_balloon: Ask a question</a> <ahref="https://github.com/GeneralBots/BotBook">:book: Read the Docs</a>
