Input components

Inputs are useful for asking your users for information. There are different types of inputs to use depending on your desired information. The complexity of an input can range from simple using input_string to somewhat complex using input_pattern that looks for a specific regex pattern or a more complex request like audio or video inputs.

Input support matrix

Only certain messaging integrations support inputs other than text. See the support matrix below for more detail.

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Inputs vs. intents
Most inputs have a corresponding intent with the same behavior and messaging integration compatibility. For example input_image is paired with the image trigger.

meya.input_string

Optionally outputs text and waits for a response from the user. Matches any string.

Property	Description
`text`	the text to output	Required
`speech`	Text to speak to the user. This field also accepts SSML markup to customize pronunciation.	Optional
`output`	the key used to store the data for subsequent steps in the flow	Optional. Default:`value`
`scope`	where to store the data. One of flow, user, bot.	Optional. Default:`flow`
`detect_language`	If `true`, will set `flow.language` to the language the input was written in.	Optional. Default:`false`
`encrypt`	If `sensitive`, will encrypt the input in the bot logs as well as at the `/messages` API endpoint. More info: Encryption	Optional. Default:`None`

Transitions

next: the default transition for an answer (if not present, flow will transition to the next in state in sequence)

component: meya.input_string
properties:
  text: "What's your middle name?"
  output: middle_name
  scope: user

Example - Language Detection

You can use the input_string component to detect a user's language. Start by creating a new flow and paste in the following code.

states:
    first:
        component: meya.text
        properties:
        		text: "Your language is {{ flow.language }}"

    input_state:
        component: meya.input_string
        properties:
            text: "Enter some text"
            detect_language: true
            output: value
            scope: flow

    greeting:
        component: meya.text
        properties:
        		text: "Your language is {{ flow.language }}"

Test it out in the test chat window. Entering hello will match the catchall trigger and start the flow. The bot will say Your language is since it hasn't yet detected your language. Enter hello again and the bot will respond Your language is en. Clear the messages to start over. This time try entering bonjour. The bot will respond Your language is fr.

meya.input_pattern

Matches a regex pattern for input. Properties are the same as meya.input_string with a few additions.

Property	Description
`text`	the text to output	Required
`speech`	Text to speak to the user. This field also accepts SSML markup to customize pronunciation.	Optional
`pattern`	the regex pattern to match the input to	Required
`require_match`	If `false` the flow will return an action `no_match` that you can use to transition to another state	Optional. Default: true
`output`	the key used to store the data for subsequent steps in the flow	Optional. Default: value
`scope`	where to store the data. One of flow, user, bot.	Optional. Default: flow
`error_message`	message sent to user if pattern is not matched	Optional. Default: Sorry, I don't understand. Try again.
`encrypt`	If `sensitive`, will encrypt the input in the bot logs as well as at the `/messages` API endpoint. More info: Encryption	Optional. Default:`None`

Transitions

next: the default transition for an answer (if not present, flow will transition to the next in state in sequence)
no_match: the state to transition to if require_match is false and the user inputs something that doesn't match the pattern.

component: meya.input_pattern
properties:
    text: "What's your API key?"
    pattern: ^(?P<capture_key>[0-9a-f]{32})$
    output: api_key
    require_match: true
    scope: user

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Regex capture groups
Capture groups are supported with meya.input_pattern. For example, pattern: ^(?P<capture_key>[0-9a-f]{32})$ will make capture_key available on the specified scope. Ex: {{ flow.capture_key }}
If a named capture group does not match, flow.<named_group> will equal the string 'None'.

The entire utterance can be accessed by reading the value of the output property.

meya.input_integer

Matches an integer value

Property	Description
`text`	the text to output
`speech`	Text to speak to the user. This field also accepts SSML markup to customize pronunciation.	Optional
`require_match`	If `false` the flow will return an action `no_match` that you can use to transition to another state	Optional. Default: true
`output`	the key used to store the data for subsequent steps in the flow	Optional. Default: value
`scope`	where to store the data. One of flow, user, bot.	Optional. Default: flow
`error_message`	message sent to user if input was not an integer	Optional. Default: Sorry, I don't understand. Try again.
`encrypt`	If `sensitive`, will encrypt the input in the bot logs as well as at the `/messages` API endpoint. More info: Encryption	Optional. Default:`None`

Transitions

component: meya.input_integer
properties:
    text: "How old are you?"
    output: age
    require_match: false
    scope: user
transitions:
		next: proper_answer
    no_match: ambiguous_answer

meya.input_datetime

Matches a "human-readable" date. Some examples that will match "now", "in 15 minutes", "tomorrow", "next wednesday at 10:30am", "9pm tonight", "October 20, 1978", "Oct. 20 at 12pm". The result is stored in Unix time (seconds).

Property	Description
`text`	The text to output.	Required
`speech`	Text to speak to the user. This field also accepts SSML markup to customize pronunciation.	Optional
`timezone`	Which timezone to use for interpreting times. Entered as an Olson Database format. If not set, the component will attempt to read timezone from datastore.	Optional: Default:`GMT`
`timezone_scope`	What datastore scope to read the timezone.	Optional: Default:`user`
`parser`	If `V2.0`, uses an NLU date parsing library that supports languages other than English.	Optional. Default:`V1.0`
`require_match`	If `false` the flow will return an action `no_match` that you can use to transition to another state.	Optional. Default:`true`
`output`	The key used to store the data for subsequent steps in the flow.	Optional. Default:`value`
`scope`	Where to store the data. One of flow, user, bot.	Optional. Default:`flow`
`error_message`	Message sent to user if input was not a date or time.	Optional. Default:`Sorry, I don't understand. Try again.`
`encrypt`	If `sensitive`, will encrypt the input in the bot logs as well as at the `/messages` API endpoint. More info: Encryption	Optional. Default:`None`

Transitions

📘
A note about timezones
If you don't specify a timezone and there is no timezone set for the user, Meya assumes GMT. Keep this in mind when using the data at a later date. Meya will do it's best to populate the user's time zone for you. However, we can't guarantee that it's available.

component: meya.input_datetime
properties:
    text: "When is your birthday?"
    output: birthdate
    timezone: Canada/Eastern

meya.input_image

Gets an image url uploaded by the user.

📘
Supported on Messenger, Telegram, Kik and Smooch.

Property	Description
`text`	the text to output	Required
`speech`	Text to speak to the user. This field also accepts SSML markup to customize pronunciation.	Optional
`output`	the key used to store the data	Optional. Default:`value`
`scope`	where to store the data. One of `flow`, `user`, or `bot`.	Optional. Default:`flow`
`error_message`	message sent to user if input was not an image	Optional. Default:`Sorry, I don't understand. Try again.`
`encrypt`	If `sensitive`, will encrypt the input in the bot logs as well as at the `/messages` API endpoint. More info: Encryption	Optional. Default:`None`

component: meya.input_image
properties:
  text: "Send me a picture of your favorite food!"
  output: food_image
  scope: flow

meya.input_video

Gets a video url uploaded by the user.

📘
Supported on Messenger, Telegram, Kik and Twilio

Property	Description
`text`	the text to output to the user	Required
`speech`	Text to speak to the user. This field also accepts SSML markup to customize pronunciation.	Optional
`output`	the key used to store the video url	Optional. Default:`value`
`scope`	where to store the data. One of `flow`, `user`, or `bot`.	Optional. Default:`flow`
`error_message`	message sent to user if input was not a video	Optional. Default:`Sorry, I don't understand. Try again.`
`encrypt`	If `sensitive`, will encrypt the input in the bot logs as well as at the `/messages` API endpoint. More info: Encryption	Optional. Default:`None`

component: meya.input_video
properties:
  text: "Send a video of your view!"
  output: view_video
  scope: flow

meya.input_audio

Gets an audio url uploaded by the user.

📘
Supported on Messenger, Telegram and Twilio.

Property	Description
`text`	the text to output to the user	Required
`speech`	Text to speak to the user. This field also accepts SSML markup to customize pronunciation.	Optional
`output`	the key used to store the audio url	Optional. Default:`value`
`scope`	where to store the data. One of `flow`, `user`, or `bot`.	Optional. Default:`flow`
`error_message`	message sent to user if input was not an audio file	Optional. Default:`Sorry, I don't understand. Try again.`
`encrypt`	If `sensitive`, will encrypt the input in the bot logs as well as at the `/messages` API endpoint. More info: Encryption	Optional. Default:`None`

component: meya.input_audio
properties:
  text: "Send a recorded message of your order :)"
  output: audio_url
  scope: flow

meya.input_file

Gets a file url uploaded by the user.

📘
Supported on Messenger, Telegram and Twilio.

Property	Description
`text`	the text to output to the user	Required
`speech`	Text to speak to the user. This field also accepts SSML markup to customize pronunciation.	Optional
`output`	the key used to store the file url	optional - default: value
`scope`	where to store the data. One of `flow`, `user`, or `bot`.	optional - default: flow
`error_message`	message sent to user if input was not a file	Optional. Default: Sorry, I don't understand. Try again.
`encrypt`	If `sensitive`, will encrypt the input in the bot logs as well as at the `/messages` API endpoint. More info: Encryption	Optional. Default:`None`

component: meya.input_file
properties:
  text: "Send a file of the doc"
  output: file_url
  scope: flow

meya.input_location

Gets and stores the location information about the user. Works with a text-based answer (e.g. Sunnyvale, CA) for all integrations or a location pin 📍 in the case of Telegram and Messenger.

📘
Support
Location pins 📍 are only supported for Telegram, Messenger and Smooch

Property	Description
`text`	the text to output	Required
`speech`	Text to speak to the user. This field also accepts SSML markup to customize pronunciation.	Optional
`output`	the key used to store the data entered by the user	Default:`value`
`confidence`	the assumed confidence when matching.	Optional. Default:`0.95`
`require_match`	If `false` the flow will return an action `no_match` that you can use to transition to another state	Optional. Default:`true`
`error_message`	message sent to user if input was not a location	Optional. Default:`Sorry, I don't understand. Try again.`
`encrypt`	If `sensitive`, will encrypt the input in the bot logs as well as at the `/messages` API endpoint. More info: Encryption	Optional. Default:`None`

The data is stored to the user datastore. You can access the information found in the table below.

Datastore	Description
`user.lat`	The latitude of the location.
`user.lng`	The longitude of the location.
`user.timezone`	The timezone of the location.
`user.city`	The city of the location.
`user.state`	The state of the location.
`user.country`	The country of the location.

Example of a flow using input location.

component: meya.input_location
properties:
  text: "Where are you?"
  output: location

Input components

Input support matrix

📘
Inputs vs. intents

meya.input_string

Transitions

Example - Language Detection

meya.input_pattern

Transitions

📘
Regex capture groups

meya.input_integer

Transitions

meya.input_datetime

Transitions

📘
A note about timezones

meya.input_image

📘

meya.input_video

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meya.input_audio

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Supported on Messenger, Telegram and Twilio.

meya.input_file

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Supported on Messenger, Telegram and Twilio.

meya.input_location

📘
Support

Input support matrix

📘Inputs vs. intents

meya.input_string

Transitions

Example - Language Detection

meya.input_pattern

Transitions

📘Regex capture groups

meya.input_integer

Transitions

meya.input_datetime

Transitions

📘A note about timezones

meya.input_image

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meya.input_video

📘

meya.input_audio

📘Supported on Messenger, Telegram and Twilio.

meya.input_file

📘Supported on Messenger, Telegram and Twilio.

meya.input_location

📘Support

📘
Inputs vs. intents

📘
Regex capture groups

📘
A note about timezones

📘
Supported on Messenger, Telegram and Twilio.

📘
Supported on Messenger, Telegram and Twilio.

📘
Support