context

BotContext instance is available through context in the action block. It can be used by scenario to store temp-, session- and client-scoped arbitrary data, related to the current user.

JAICF transparently manages the state of BotContext storing and fetching it for each user's request using managers.

Learn more about managers here.

How to use

state("name") {
    action {
        context.client["name"] = context.result
        reactions.say("Nice to meet you ${context.result}")
   }
}

Here the value from context.result is saved to the client-scoped data map in the context. On the next request from the same user JAICF will fetch their context and "name" variable will be available via context.client["name"].

Delegation

Due to the Kotlin property delegation feature, you can use context as a source to delegate typed properties in your own data classes.

class GameController(context: BotContext) {
    var gamers: Int? by context.client
    var currentTurn: Int? by context.client
}

With such declaration of gamers and currentTurn you can operate with these typed variables that will be automatically obtained and stored accordingly to the context.client map on read/write. Thus you don't have to invoke a type-less context["gamers"] or context["currentTurn"] = 1. Instead of this you can simply access an appropriate variable like controller.gamers or controller.currentTurn = 1.

Client scope

Client scoped map persists values permanently and available through context.client.

Session scope

Session scoped map persists values for the current session. It is up to the channel to start a new session and clean this map. It is available through context.session.

Temp scope

Temp scoped map persists values only during the current request processing. This is a way to pass values over different states between dialogue states when using reactions.go(). It is available through context.temp.

state("first") {
    action {
        context.temp["foo"] = "bar"
        reactions.go("/second")
    }
}
state("second") {
    action {
        val foo = context.temp["foo"] as? String
        reactions.say(foo)
    }
}

Result

result variable may contain arbitrary data passed back to the callback state.

state("main") {
    action {
        reactions.go("/helper/ask4name", "name")
    }
}

state("name") {
    action {
        reactions.say("Nice to meet you ${context.result}!")
    }
}

This variable is scoped to session as well and can be cleared by JAICF in case of new session starting.