Category Archives: api connect

Slack2Watson (1): Connect API Connect to Serverless OpenWhisk

‘Slack2Watson (1): Connect API Connect to Serverless OpenWhisk’ is part 1 of an application called Slack2Watson, which integrates a ChatBot into Slack and allows you to retrieve information about events via Slash Commands in Slack. In part 1, I will set up the ‘API Connect’ service and link the APIs in ‘API Connect’ to the OpenWhisk functions.

Integration is managed using API management in ‘API Connect,’ serverless or event-based APIs in OpenWhisk, and IBM Watson to create the Conversation bot. Some data is retrieved via Google Sheets API.

  1. Create API Connect API v1.0.0
  2. Publish the API
  3. Create an OpenWhisk action
  4. Connect API Connect to OpenWhisk

Requirements

This tutorial uses the OpenWhisk service and the API Connect service on http://bluemix.net, the IBM Cloud. Create an account on IBM Bluemix to run this tutorial.

1. Create API Connect API v1.0.0

  • Go to the Bluemix Catalog,
  • In the left menu select the ‘APIs’ category, and click the ‘API Connect’ service,
  • Click the ‘CREATE’ button to create the ‘API Connect’ service,
  • Click the ‘Sandbox’ icon to go to the Sandbox view with a list of products, which currently says ‘There are no products available in the selected catalog.’,
  • Go to the ‘Navigate to’ icon next to the ‘Home’ icon, and click ‘Drafts’, which will take you by default to the ‘Drafts’ view in the ‘Designer’ perspective,
  • In the ‘Drafts’ view, you see a ‘Products’ tab and an ‘APIs’ tab, click the ‘APIs’ tab,
  • Click the ‘ADD’ button and add a ‘New API’ titled ‘<username>-slack2watson’
  • Title: ‘<username>-slack2watson’
  • Name: ‘<username>-slack2watson’
  • Base Path: /slack2watson
  • Version: 1.0.0

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