Can I re-float the post from @xpandertn regarding ...
# 🤝helpr
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 10:28 AMhttps://discordapp.com/channels/1108396290624213082/1128385867145302207
I agree with @cool-hospital-14870 it doesn't work as suggested in docs.
Known issue? Workarounds?
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acceptable-kangaroo-64719
07/28/2023, 11:02 AMHey @ripe-cat-27461, session variables are supported we just haven't added them to the type/linter yet, so they get a scary red underline.
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ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 11:06 AMHey @acceptable-kangaroo-64719, I did ignore the grumbles and run the code. And it didn't seem to work. Was it because my session variable isn't about Peter The Panda hahahahahha. Off to try again now that the Malaysian Oracle has pronounced ....
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acceptable-kangaroo-64719
07/28/2023, 11:11 AMwhat code are you running? Can you share some screenshots?
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ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 12:13 PM@acceptable-kangaroo-64719 I cut you a quick video here
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 12:14 PMLet me know what I've done wrong. If you hear tell of any video that needs editing at Botpress, hit me up. My video editing skills are working better than my bot building attempts at the moment
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acceptable-kangaroo-64719
07/28/2023, 12:23 PMThanks for the video! What was the error in the logs? Because I copied your exact setup and its working on my end. Other things to try:
* refresh the page
* log out & log back in again
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1134432116638236754/1134461048716537876/image.png▾
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cool-hospital-14870
07/28/2023, 1:32 PMI'll have to retry myself. I never got them to work appropriately
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bumpy-butcher-41910
07/28/2023, 1:50 PMhello thread!
bumpy-butcher-41910
07/28/2023, 1:50 PMthere are basically two ways to use session variables, which essentially just let you "reference variables across workflows"
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ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:15 PM@acceptable-kangaroo-64719 logged out, had some lunch. Logged in. Still the same. Error is ...
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:16 PMIn the execute code card ...
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1134432116638236754/1134489526090350613/image.png▾
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:16 PMError executing action "inline-ins-04721c839a.js" in flow:Main:node:detect_intents [SyntaxError, Invalid or unexpected token]
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:20 PM@bumpy-butcher-41910 As you so eruditely explain in your "Reference variables across workflows" video, we have to go to a bit more trouble to pass workflow scoped variables around. That's exactly why I'm interested in session variables, which - although I haven't been able to create one successfully yet - I assume that when I do, I'll be able to just grab it from everywhere. Simples! Let me know if I've got this right.
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bumpy-butcher-41910
07/28/2023, 2:21 PMeruditely!! that's big praise
bumpy-butcher-41910
07/28/2023, 2:21 PMin theory you're right, but my understanding here is that session variables are a kind of "hacky" workaround, and they don't work together well with different workflows etc
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ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:23 PM@bumpy-butcher-41910 Re: "eruditely" as a human language model, I have access to such KBs as "thesaurus.com"
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bumpy-butcher-41910
07/28/2023, 2:24 PMhahahaha
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ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:31 PM@bumpy-butcher-41910 Actually, Botpress Docs actually mention the use case I want session variables for - building a shopping cart. Clearly, we don't want to forget what the shopping cart items were while we're collecting the shipping address. And we probably don't want to be forced into designing the bot as just one workflow for the sole purpose of being able to remember useful things.
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:32 PM@bumpy-butcher-41910 Anyway, though, it's all a moot point if I can't get them to work.
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:35 PM@bumpy-butcher-41910 If things start to get busier over there and you need to off-load video editing - which is laborious. I'm here to help. Hit me up if you need to see a showreel. Just need to have a way of making money if I can't get session variables to work 😉
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bumpy-butcher-41910
07/28/2023, 2:36 PMyeah that's a fair point - as we expanded the range of what bots can do it became necessary to redesign session variables so they wouldn't break anything else - i.e. as input/output variables. the session variables you're asking about are really just a legacy feature hanging on for dear life
bumpy-butcher-41910
07/28/2023, 2:36 PMnoted about video editing 👀
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ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:41 PM@bumpy-butcher-41910 >> the session variables you're asking about are really just a legacy feature hanging on for dear life. Hmmm. As a full stack developer, with more years under my belt than I care to reveal just now, I would suggest that we are desperately going to need variables which last as long as the conversation does. It's a fundamental issue in web development due to the "stateless" nature of HTTP.
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:44 PMI mean, if early on, we find out the user's name is "Bill" and we got that in greeting-workflow. We can personalize all other workflows with his name. Because he's not going to change his name during the conversation. But then if he's actually returning something and we're in the return-workflow, why not be able to pull it from the session scope? Pretty normal in web dev
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bumpy-butcher-41910
07/28/2023, 2:44 PMhonestly I don't disagree and I'm happy to defer to your authority here - what I'm going to suggest is, if you have the time, can you write this up in #1111026806254993459? this is really valuable feedback and will be more impactful coming from you than filtered through me!
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ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:48 PM@bumpy-butcher-41910 errrm. Since it's already implemented, wouldn't it be an unnecesary distraction?
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 2:50 PM@bumpy-butcher-41910 Docs seem to be pretty clear it's a permanent feature. See image below. And for exactly the normal use cases you get in web dev too
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1134432116638236754/1134498079760990289/image.png▾
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 3:10 PM@acceptable-kangaroo-64719 @bumpy-butcher-41910 Got it working following your example. It seems the session variable needs to be declared with single quotations makes. For example
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 3:11 PMsession.userfirstname = 'Janice'
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 3:12 PMwhereas the docs code example as you can see in the image above, uses double quotation marks. Who knew !
ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 3:15 PM@acceptable-kangaroo-64719 session variables - i.e. last as long as the conversation does and can be referenced from any workflow - are here to stay, right? Please. Pretty please
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acceptable-kangaroo-64719
07/28/2023, 3:18 PMI think so, yeah
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ripe-cat-27461
07/28/2023, 3:34 PM@acceptable-kangaroo-64719 @bumpy-butcher-41910 Appreciate your input 👏
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famous-jewelry-85388
07/28/2023, 8:39 PMHi,
I have replied to the video with the below:
1) for the generative AI to work, only click enter, no need to click on the stars (0:50). When you clicked it, you disabled it.
2) instead of session, try event.state.session (1:35)
3) the double quotes around the "Hello world" are wrongly formatted. (1:35)
Hence, I did a PR to update the documentation
famous-jewelry-85388
07/28/2023, 8:39 PMThanks for clearing it for us
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ripe-cat-27461
07/29/2023, 5:48 AM@famous-jewelry-85388 Hey there. Understood and much appreciated.
ripe-cat-27461
07/29/2023, 5:49 AMI did get it working: the double quotation marks seemed to be the main issue
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