cli.md

Build An Alexa Hello Buttons Skill

Setup w/ ASK CLI

About

This readme assumes you have your developer environment ready to go and that you have some familiarity with CLI (Command Line Interface) Tools, AWS, and the ASK Developer Portal.

Pre-requisites

• Node.js (> v8)
• Register for an AWS Account
• Register for an Amazon Developer Account
• Install and initialize the ASK CLI

Note: If you would like to setup the ASK CLI using AWS Cloud9 (a cloud-based IDE with pay-as-you-go pricing and is eligible for AWS Free Tier pricing), step-by-step instructions can be found here.

Installation

1. Make sure you are running the latest version of the CLI

   npm update -g ask-cli

2. Create the skill based on the repository.

   ask new --url https://github.com/alexa/skill-sample-nodejs-buttons-hellobuttons.git --skill-name hello-buttons

Deployment

ASK CLI will create the skill and the Lambda function for you. The Lambda function will be created in us-east-1 (Northern Virginia) by default.

1. Navigate to the project's root directory. you should see a file named 'skill.json' there.

2. Deploy the skill and the Lambda function in one step by running the following command:

   ask deploy

Testing

1. To test, the skill needs to be enabled. From the developer console, open your skill and click the Test tab. Ensure the skill is available for testing in Development.

2. Simulate verbal interaction with your skill through the command line (this might take a few moments) using the following example:

    ask simulate -l en-US -t "start Hello Buttons"
   
    ✓ Simulation created for simulation id: 4a7a9ed8-94b2-40c0-b3bd-fb63d9887fa7
   ◡ Waiting for simulation response{
     "status": "SUCCESSFUL",
     ...

Additional Testing Options