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Threaded Replies

Errbot supports threaded replies, which allows bot responses to be organized in conversation threads when the backend supports this feature. This is particularly useful for maintaining context in group chats and keeping related messages together.

Enabling Threaded Replies

There are two ways to enable threaded replies in Errbot:

  1. Per-command basis using the in_reply_to parameter in send
  2. Globally for specific commands using the DIVERT_TO_THREAD configuration

Per-command Threaded Replies

You can send a threaded reply to any message using the in_reply_to parameter in send:

from errbot import BotPlugin, botcmd

class ThreadedPlugin(BotPlugin):
    @botcmd
    def threaded_response(self, msg, args):
        # This response will be sent as a threaded reply
        self.send(msg.frm, "This is a threaded response", in_reply_to=msg)

Global Thread Configuration

You can configure Errbot to automatically send responses in threads for specific commands by adding them to the DIVERT_TO_THREAD configuration in your config.py:

# Send all responses for 'help' and 'about' commands in threads
DIVERT_TO_THREAD = ("help", "about")

# Or send all command responses in threads
DIVERT_TO_THREAD = ("ALL_COMMANDS",)

Backend Support

Threaded replies are supported by the following backends:

  • Slack
  • Discord
  • Matrix
  • Telegram (in group chats)

Note that not all backends support threaded replies. If a backend doesn't support threading, the message will be sent as a regular message.

Best Practices

  1. Use threaded replies for: - Long conversations that need to maintain context - Command responses that might generate multiple messages - Group chat discussions where keeping related messages together is important
  2. Consider using threaded replies for: - Help commands - Status updates - Multi-step processes - Debug information

Example Plugin

Here's a complete example of a plugin that demonstrates threaded replies:

from errbot import BotPlugin, botcmd
import time

class ThreadedExample(BotPlugin):
    @botcmd
    def status(self, msg, args):
        """Get the current status with updates in a thread"""
        self.send(msg.frm, "Starting status check...", in_reply_to=msg)
        time.sleep(1)
        self.send(msg.frm, "Checking system resources...", in_reply_to=msg)
        time.sleep(1)
        self.send(msg.frm, "Status check complete!", in_reply_to=msg)

    @botcmd
    def help_threaded(self, msg, args):
        """Get help in a thread"""
        help_text = """
        Available commands:
        - !status: Get system status
        - !help_threaded: Show this help message
        """
        self.send(msg.frm, help_text, in_reply_to=msg)

Configuration

To enable threaded replies globally for specific commands, add them to your config.py:

# Send all responses for these commands in threads
DIVERT_TO_THREAD = (
    "help",
    "about",
    "status",
    "debug"
)

# Or send all command responses in threads
DIVERT_TO_THREAD = ("ALL_COMMANDS",)

Limitations

  1. Not all backends support threaded replies
  2. Threaded replies may not be visible in all chat clients
  3. Some backends may have limitations on thread depth or length
  4. Threaded replies may not be preserved in chat history the same way as regular messages

When using threaded replies, it's important to test the behavior with your specific backend and chat client to ensure the feature works as expected.