Slack Message Builder

Slack Message Builder is a node.js module that builds JSON documents that can be used to post messages to slack's chat.postMessage API. Can be used where ever you need to generate Slack message JSON especially in Slapp.

Install

npm install --save slack-message-builder

Usage

Basic Formatting

const smb = require('slack-message-builder')
smb().text('I am a test message http://slack.com')
  .attachment()
    .text("And here's an attachment!")
  .end()
.json()

Produces

{
    "text": "I am a test message http://slack.com",
    "attachments": [
        {
            "text": "And here's an attachment!"
        }
    ]
}

Attachments

const smb = require('slack-message-builder')
smb()
  .attachment()
    .fallback("Required plain-text summary of the attachment.")
    .color("#36a64f")
    .pretext("Optional text that appears above the attachment block")
    .authorName("Bobby Tables")
    .authorLink("http://flickr.com/bobby/")
    .authorIcon("http://flickr.com/icons/bobby.jpg")
    .title("Slack API Documentation")
    .titleLink("https://api.slack.com/")
    .text("Optional text that appears within the attachment")
    .field()
      .title("Priority")
      .value("High")
      .short(false)
    .end()
    .imageUrl("http://my-website.com/path/to/image.jpg")
    .thumbUrl("http://example.com/path/to/thumb.png")
    .footer("Slack API")
    .footerIcon("https://platform.slack-edge.com/img/default_application_icon.png")
    .ts(12345678)
  .end()
.json()

Produces

{
    "attachments": [
        {
            "fallback": "Required plain-text summary of the attachment.",
            "color": "#36a64f",
            "pretext": "Optional text that appears above the attachment block",
            "author_name": "Bobby Tables",
            "author_link": "http://flickr.com/bobby/",
            "author_icon": "http://flickr.com/icons/bobby.jpg",
            "title": "Slack API Documentation",
            "title_link": "https://api.slack.com/",
            "text": "Optional text that appears within the attachment",
            "fields": [
                {
                    "title": "Priority",
                    "value": "High",
                    "short": false
                }
            ],
            "image_url": "http://my-website.com/path/to/image.jpg",
            "thumb_url": "http://example.com/path/to/thumb.png",
            "footer": "Slack API",
            "footer_icon": "https://platform.slack-edge.com/img/default_application_icon.png",
            "ts": 123456789
        }
    ]
}

Buttons

const smb = require('slack-message-builder')
smb()
  .text("Would you like to play a game?")
  .attachment()
    .text("Choose a game to play")
    .fallback("You are unable to choose a game")
    .callbackId("wopr_game")
    .color("#3AA3E3")
    .button()
      .name("chess")
      .text("Chess")
      .type("button")
      .value("chess")
    .end()
    .button()
      .name("maze")
      .text("Falken's Maze")
      .type("button")
      .value("maze")
    .end()
    .button()
      .name("war")
      .text("Thermonuclear War")
      .style("danger")
      .type("button")
      .value("war")
        .confirm()
          .title("Are you sure?")
          .text("Wouldn't you prefer a good game of chess?")
          .okText("Yes")
          .dismissText("No")
        .end()
    .end()
  .end()
.json()

Produces

{
    "text": "Would you like to play a game?",
    "attachments": [
        {
            "text": "Choose a game to play",
            "fallback": "You are unable to choose a game",
            "callback_id": "wopr_game",
            "color": "#3AA3E3",
            "actions": [
                {
                    "name": "chess",
                    "text": "Chess",
                    "type": "button",
                    "value": "chess"
                },
                {
                    "name": "maze",
                    "text": "Falken's Maze",
                    "type": "button",
                    "value": "maze"
                },
                {
                    "name": "war",
                    "text": "Thermonuclear War",
                    "style": "danger",
                    "type": "button",
                    "value": "war",
                    "confirm": {
                        "title": "Are you sure?",
                        "text": "Wouldn't you prefer a good game of chess?",
                        "ok_text": "Yes",
                        "dismiss_text": "No"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}

Message Menus (type=select)

Message menus:

const smb = require('slack-message-builder')
smb()
  .text("Pick a user")
  .attachment()
    .text("")
    .fallback("Pick a user")
    .callbackId("user_callback")
    .select()
      .name("pick_user")
      .text("Users")
      .dataSource("users")
    .end()
    .select()
      .name("pick_channel")
      .text("Channels")
      .dataSource("channels")
    .end()
    .select()
      .name("pick_value")
      .text("Static")
      .option("some text", "a value")
      .option("some more text", "moar value")
      .option("an object value", { foo: 'bar' })
      .option("even more text", "even moar value", "a description", isSelected) // isSelected = true
    .end()
    .select()
      .name("pick_dynamic")
      .text("Choose something dynamic!")
      .dataSource("external")
    .end()
  .end()
.json()

Produces:

{
    text: 'Pickauser',
    attachments: [
        {
            text: '',
            fallback: 'Pickauser',
            callback_id: 'user_callback',
            actions: [
                {
                    type: 'select',
                    name: 'pick_user',
                    text: 'Users',
                    data_source: 'users'
                },
                {
                    type: 'select',
                    name: 'pick_channel',
                    text: 'Channels',
                    data_source: 'channels'
                },
                {
                    type: 'select',
                    name: 'pick_value',
                    text: 'Static',
                    options: [
                        {
                            text: 'some text',
                            value: ' avalue'
                        },
                        {
                            text: 'some more text',
                            value: 'moar value'
                        },
                        {
                            text: 'an object value',
                            value: '{"foo":"bar"}'
                        },
                        {
                            text: 'even more text',
                            value: 'even moar value',
                            description: "a description",
                            selected: true
                        }
                    ]
                },
                {
                    type: 'select',
                    name: 'pick_dynamic',
                    text: 'Choosesomethingdynamic!',
                    data_source: 'external'
                }
            ]
        }
    ]
}

Message Menus with Option Groups (type=select)

const smb = require('slack-message-builder')
smb()
  .text('Pick a user')
  .attachment()
    .text('Pick a user')
    .fallback('Pick a user')
    .callbackId('user_callback')
    .select()
      .name('option_group')
      .text('Static Option Groups')
      .optionGroup()
        .text('Option header')
        .option('some text', 'a value')
        .option('some more text', 'moar value')
      .end()
      .optionGroup()
        .text('Second Option header')
        .option('some text', 'a value')
        .option('some more text', 'moar value')
      .end()
    .end()
  .end()
.json()

Produces:

{
  "text": "Pick a user",
  "attachments": [
    {
      "text": "Pick a user",
      "fallback": "Pick a user",
      "callback_id": "user_callback",
      "actions": [
        {
          "type": "select",
          "name": "option_group",
          "text": "Static Option Groups",
          "option_groups": [
            {
              "text": "Option header",
              "options": [
                {
                  "text": "some text",
                  "value": "a value"
                },
                {
                  "text": "some more text",
                  "value": "moar value"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "text": "Second Option header",
              "options": [
                {
                  "text": "some text",
                  "value": "a value"
                },
                {
                  "text": "some more text",
                  "value": "moar value"
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
 

Modifying Original Messages

Slack message builder can also be used to modify existing messages, such as the original_message that comes with an interactive message action. Consider the following example that uses the Slapp framework.

  const slapp = require('slapp')
 
  slapp.action('buttonCallbackId', 'action', (msg) => {
    msg.respond(smb(msg.body.original_message)
          .attachments.get(-1) // get the last attachment
            .buttons(null) // remove the buttons
            .text(`:white_check_mark: got it`) // add some confirmation text
          .end()
        .json())
  })

Using JSON

Mix and match JSON documents with slack-message-builder's functions

smb()
  .text("I am a test message")
  .attachments([{"text": "And Here's an attachment!", "color":"#3AA3E3"}])
  .json()

smb()
  .attachment()
  .fields([{"title": "title", "value":"value"}])
  .end()
  .json()