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Labs

Adding a Custom Intent to an Alexa Skill

In this lab, we change our skill to have a custom intent that returns a stock phrase. This is in preparation for another lab where we will add custom slots to the intent we create here. The objectives for this lab include creating a simple custom intent and testing that intent using `ask dialog`. **Note:** You must have your own Amazon Developer account, which you can [sign up](https://developer.amazon.com/) for if you do not already have one.

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Path Info

Level
Clock icon Beginner
Duration
Clock icon 30m
Published
Clock icon Jul 23, 2020

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Table of Contents

  1. Challenge

    Configure Amazon Skills Kit to Use Your AWS Developer Account

    1. Initialize the ASK CLI:
    ask init --no-browser
    
    1. Copy/paste the URL that appears from the terminal to a browser window.
    2. Log in to the developer console when prompted.
    3. Copy/paste the authorization code.
    4. Enter y for Yes to connect to the AWS account already set up on the VM.
    5. Choose the default AWS account.
  2. Challenge

    Clone Skill and Check Out Branch

    1. Use the following to clone the template skill:
    ask new --url https://github.com/linuxacademy/content-aws-skill-builder.git
    
    1. Navigate into the directory with:
    cd content-aws-skill-builder
    
    1. To start with a template and perform the tasks for this lab yourself:
    git checkout lab_intents
    
    1. To start with the solution to the lab:

      git checkout lab_intents_solution
      
  3. Challenge

    Update Skill Code

    In ../models/en-US.json:

    1. Create RegisterPetIntent:

        {
            "name": "RegisterPetIntent",
            "slots": [],
            "samples": [
              "I want to register my pet"
            ]
        },
      

    In ../lambda/custom/index.js:

    1. Change the LaunchRequestHandler message to be "Exclusive Veterinary Services welcomes you. Please say I want to register my pet."

    2. Create a RegisterPetIntentHandler:

      const RegisterPetIntentHandler = {
        canHandle(handlerInput) {
            return Alexa.getRequestType(handlerInput.requestEnvelope) === 'IntentRequest'
                && Alexa.getIntentName(handlerInput.requestEnvelope) === 'RegisterPetIntent';
        },
        handle(handlerInput) {
            const speakOutput = "We are happy to help you register your pet.";
      
            return handlerInput.responseBuilder
                .speak(speakOutput)
                //.reprompt('add a reprompt if you want to keep the session open for the user to respond')
                .getResponse();
        }
      };
      
    3. Add RegisterPetIntentHandler to the exports.handler at the end of the file:

      exports.handler = Alexa.SkillBuilders.custom()
        .addRequestHandlers(
          LaunchRequestHandler,
          ExclusiveVetIntentHandler,
          RegisterPetIntentHandler,
          HelpIntentHandler,
          CancelAndStopIntentHandler,
          FallbackIntentHandler,
          SessionEndedRequestHandler)
        .addErrorHandlers(
          ErrorHandler)
        .lambda();
      
  4. Challenge

    Deploy and Test

    1. Deploy the skill:

      ask deploy
      
    2. Begin performing a test:

      ask dialog --locale en-US
      
    3. The prompt will change to User >.

    4. Enter open exclusive vet and follow the prompts.

  5. Challenge

    Cleanup Amazon Developer Account Alexa Console

    At this point the skill you just created should be deleted from your Alexa Console.

    Please do so at this link Alexa Console.

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