I have build a very simple bot using Python. A Telegram based chatbot that uses OMDB-API for retrieving the movie ratings that is requested and sends it back to the user in the Telegram chat window.
TELEGRAM BOT
On the surface, Telegram is just another messaging app. The app promotes itself as secure, fast, ad-free, etc. However, there is one feature that sets it apart from similar apps: bots!
First, I will discuss what bots are and why you might be interested in creating one.
The term “bots” might call to mind those scripted auto-reply “live chat” programs we’ve all seen, but they’re not the same. These guys are amazing little helpers you can use in any chat. Think of a bot as an automated user account that can do favors for you.
First, register on Telegram. I recommend using Telegram web client to test the basic concepts.
Open the Telegram app, search for @BotFather and start the chat. Send /newbot and follow the instructions. After completing the initial steps, you’ll get:
- your TOKEN
- the telegram api URL — https://api.telegram.org/bot
- link on documentation
The bot is hosted online on Heroku.
Chatbots are fun, and Telegram has one of the best APIs to make one. This project uses the python-telegram-bot wrapper which provides a Python interface for the Telegram API.