GettingStarted.md

Getting Started with Api.ai Xamarin SDK

• Before you start coding
• Modify app permissions
• Initialize the SDK
• Define event handlers
• Start voice input
• Define voice input listeners (optional)

Before you start coding

• To use the SDK, you'll need to create an Api.ai account
• Create an agent to get client access token key.

Modify app permissions

• On Android: Modify AndroidManifest.xml and add Internet and Audio recording permissions:

  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />

• On iOS - no extra actions are required.

Initialize the SDK

1. Connect API.AI SDK Component to your app.

2. Get client access token key from Api.ai developer console => agent's settings.

3. In your app code create instance of the AIConfiguration class. You must specify client access token and a language for the agent(see SupportedLanguage enumeration and supported languages).

   var config = new AIConfiguration("accessToken", SupportedLanguage.English);

4. Then create AIService instance using AIService.CreateService method.

   • On iOS platform you need only AIConfiguration instance

     aiService = AIService.CreateService(config);

   • On Android platform you need also context and optionally can specify recognition engine option

     aiService = AIService.CreateService(context, config);

Define event handlers

Now you need to specify event handlers for Api.ai results processing:

aiService.OnResult += AiService_OnResult;
aiService.OnError += AiService_OnError;

Sample OnResult handler. Make sure you interact with the UI in the UI thread:

void AiService_OnResult(AIResponse response)
{
    RunOnUiThread(() =>
        {
            if (!response.IsError)
            {
                if (response.Result != null)
                {
                    resultTextView.Text = response.Result.Action;    
                }
            }
            else
            {
                resultTextView.Text = response.Status.ErrorDetails;
            }
        }
    );
}

Sample OnError handler:

void AiService_OnError(AIServiceException exception)
{
    Log.Debug(TAG, "AIService Error: ", exception.ToString());
}

Start voice input

Now for start listening call StartListening method. E.g. it could be started when the user presses the mic button:

aiService.StartListening();

Define additional listeners for voice input

Also you can add additional listeners for another recognition events:

aiService.ListeningStarted += AiService_ListeningStarted;
aiService.ListeningFinished += AiService_ListeningFinished;
aiService.AudioLevelChanged += AiService_AudioLevelChanged;