CodeProject: Creating a Managed Automated Information Agent (mBot). Free source code and programming help

Introduction

In his article “Implementing Automated Agents (Bots) using the RTC Client API[1],” Robert Osborne [Microsoft] provides a reasonable starting place for framing an automated information agent, or instant messaging (IM) bot. This article is also about bots, but takes a very different approach by utilizing Microsoft’s modern .NET technologies to enable a bot infrastructure with C#, .NET Remoting Services, and Web Services. Moreover, the significant limitations of the RTC Client 1.2 API’s STA threading model are treated, making the infrastructure code for the bot much cleaner and better prepared to adapt to forthcoming collaboration APIs, such as those found in Longhorn.

The figure above provides an aerial view of what this article sets out to do: Craft a facility, called mBot, that will manage multiple RTC Client objects and expose interfaces to them via .NET Remoting and .NET Web Services so that they can be managed remotely by other .NET applications or from entirely different instant messaging platforms such as a Java J2EE/SOAP application like Jabber running on Linux or Windows.

This article is more about framing a managed open infrastructure around the RTC Client COM object than it is about the RTC Client COM object itself. The RTC Client COM object is most certainly an essential central messaging component, but it is also one whose COM API we desire to abstract away with .NET Remoting and Web Service methods.

Documentation and Source Code Provided

The two zip files contain .NET C# code (source) and a 60 page PDF file (demo) that thoroughly documents the solution.

[1] "Implementing Automated Agents (Bots) using the RTC Client API"

http://msdn.microsoft.com/office/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnrtcclnt/html/rtc_informationagent.asp

History

12^th August, 2004: Initial post

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Monitor line from RTC APIs
MyRitu

15:23 7 Nov '07

Hi, Is there a way to get system status and monitor the line URI (essentially the CSTA messages) by using RTC APIs 1.3? I am looking for a mechanism o do this for generating CSTA traffic between the CSTA g/w + Softswitch and LCS 2005 SP1. Are there any tools available for this? Appriciate any help in this regard. Thanks & Regards, Ritu Ritu
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TCP vs TLS
chileric

12:03 9 May '07

I am having a difficult time deploying this mBot application. Maybe it's because it is out of date (see post below) or perhaps I am doing something wrong (which is more likely to be the case)! I am trying to use Office Communicator instead of Windows Messenger--is that a problem? I know Communicator is using TLS instead of TCP and the mBot code uses a TCP channel, so will it not work? Is there such a thing as a TLS channel? As you can tell I am very lost--any guidance would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Eric

Can I use RTC 1.3?
chileric

12:53 30 Apr '07

This article is exactly what I've been searching for, but my only concern is that it might be out-dated. Does anyone know of a similar example using RTC 1.3? Or should I just use RTC 1.2 and continue working off of this code example? Thanks, Eric
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Re: Can I use RTC 1.3?
RTC-LCS-Developer

9:10 2 May '07

This article is most certainly out of date. As you probably know, the RTC/LCS 1.3 ( LCS 2005 ) environment is about to be superceded by OCS/UCC 2007. An article describing the mBot in the RTC 1.3 or OCS/UCC 2007 environment does not exist, sorry. The next generation of this article would most likely target OCS/UCC 2007.

See also, "Real Time Communications Sample: Implementing Automated Agents (Bots) using the RTC Client API" [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=295273B3-4634-4479-A091-428B56579908&displaylang=en ]

Problem on LCS Server [modified]
Tom_Ky

0:58 24 Oct '06

:( Hi. I have downloaded this Code Project,I found this depend on LCS Server 2005 Standard Edition,I try run this program With Standard Edition,It's susseccful.Now I have a Server With LCS Server 2005 Enterprise Edition,This Program Only Can send message to other,but can get status of other,Please help me resolve this prlblem Thanks -- modified at 20:50 Tuesday 24th October, 2006 Good Luck
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Re: Problem on LCS Server
Tom_Ky

15:48 24 Oct '06

Error is happened in pollBuddyDelgateMethod method of RtcBotRemotingService project , When program run whit buddy2 = (RTCCORELib.IRTCBuddy2) botSessionEntry.RtcClientClass.get_Buddy(this.toUri); Error is happened.please help me to resolve it,Thanks Good Luck
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Problems running the example
MARCO PICCC

5:21 7 Jul '06

Hi, I have downloaded the mBot example (code and demo). I can now compile without problemas but I would like to show the applicacion running. I didn't find documentation about how to run the example.... Can anybody Help Me?? thanks in advance MARCO
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RTC Conversation
riccardobecker

3:42 25 Jun '06

Hi there, thanks for your great article. I have a little application myself that lets two PC's connect to eachother by IPAddress and make a conversation using RTCClientClass and more API's of RTC. What i need now is to record the conversation. Do you have a clue for me? regards Riccardo Becker
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RTC over mobile
alon.heller

23:09 13 May '06

Hi, I investigate a little about programing IM software for mobile with LCS & RTC, and I saw that there isn't a client for RTC to mobile currenctly. Do you think is there any other way to do it in C#, using compact framework ? does it support the change of the rtc to make it interoperabillity (com on compact framework) ? Thanks a lot. A.H
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How to set IM's font and color ?
xz_king

4:41 13 Mar '06

I want set message's header , it's seam as a string . how to set it ? ╭︿︿★╮╭︿︿☆╮ {/ ．．\}{/ ．．\} (　 (oo) )(　(oo) ) .︶︶︶︶　︶︶︶︶
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Jabber
arash_

11:47 14 Dec '05

Hi,

I am working on my thesis that about doing a server application for a company.

thay have a Messenger (it's name is Cute Messenger) and thay want me to do a server application so it can do it possible to members of Cute Messenger that chat with thier friends on MSN messenger or ICQ or Yahoo messenger.

I am a newbie and I have hort that it can be possible by Jabber, I saw your aricle and i thought you maybe can help me and give some advice or tip.

you can write to me dirctly to my mail: arash22@hotmail.com

thank you so much.
and sorry about my bad english

arash

It's helpful to me .
xz_king

21:11 7 Nov '05

study . ╭︿︿★╮╭︿︿☆╮ {/ ．．\}{/ ．．\} (　 (oo) )(　(oo) ) .︶︶︶︶　︶︶︶︶
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RTC audio stream
serup

5:59 27 Oct '05

I was hoping that you could guide me to an article describing how to use audio streams when having a RTC session. Sincerely Johnny
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Same Old error
Anandakumar Thangaraju

1:19 29 Nov '04

Hi,

In this article you said the the Query Interface error (thread that created the client only has the access) won't happen in RTC v1.3. Right now im using v1.3, but still im getting the same error. Do you have any ideas?

FYI : My App is a ASP.NET web application using C# + RTC API 1.3

Code:
-----

using RTCCore;

public class WebForm1 : System.Web.UI.Page
{
protected System.Web.UI.WebControls.TextBox TextBox1;

RTCClientClass rtcClient;

private void Page_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
Thread.CurrentThread.ApartmentState = ApartmentState.MTA;
rtcClient = new RTCClientClass();
rtcClient.Initialize();
}

}

The Error Desc is as follows :
------------------------------

QueryInterface for interface RTCCore.IRTCClient failed.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

Exception Details: System.InvalidCastException: QueryInterface for interface RTCCore.IRTCClient failed.

Source Error:

Line 27: Thread.CurrentThread.ApartmentState = ApartmentState.MTA;
Line 28: rtcClient = new RTCClientClass();
Line 29: rtcClient.Initialize();
Line 30: }
Line 31:

Thanks,

Anand

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Re: Same Old error
RTC-LCS-Developer

7:50 1 Dec '04

Anandakumar Thangaraju wrote:
In this article you said the the Query Interface error (thread that created the client only has the access) won't happen in RTC v1.3. Right now im using v1.3, but still im getting the same error. Do you have any ideas?

I've used RTC 1.3 (just recently made available) know this kind of problem should not occur. Check your manifest per: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/rtcclnt/rtc/how_to_create_a_manifest_for_an_rtc_client_application.asp[^] and see if that helps.

Re: Same Old error
Anandakumar Thangaraju

1:32 2 Dec '04

Sorry to bother you again !!! I guess, im using the correct mainfest... Following is the one which im using.. version="1.0.0.0" processorArchitecture="x86" name="WebApplication3" type="win32" /> WebApplication3 type="win32" name="Microsoft.Windows.Networking.RtcDll" version="5.2.1002.3" processorArchitecture="X86" publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df" language="*" /> Thanks, - Anand. Anand
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Re: Jabber is not Java
RTC-LCS-Developer

13:19 17 Aug '04

Try a Google search on: Java+Jabber

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=java+jabber

or, for example, look at:

http://www.javajabber.net/en/
http://yaja.sourceforge.net/

Java is a language and framework.
Jabber is an instant messaging platform based on XMPP.

A Jabber application (client and/or server) can be implemented using Java.

I think, however, you are missing the real point of the article.

I hope this helps.

2.00/5

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