How to build a bot that reviews your code (w. Dropbox & Github integrations)

Coze
9 May 202415:34

TLDRWilliam discusses the creation and functionality of 'codan,' a bot that reviews code and offers suggestions. The bot, which has gained popularity among nearly 10,000 users, is designed to understand the context of a user's project without requiring repetitive explanations. It integrates with Dropbox and GitHub and can analyze entire projects to provide detailed feedback. William also mentions the use of slash commands to streamline interactions with the bot. The bot's workflow involves discovery, planning, and execution, with a focus on solving complex problems. It is built using GPT with a 128 context window and includes custom plugins for Dropbox and GitHub integration. The bot's development process is outlined, including the creation of plugins and the use of an IDE for API development. William also shares insights on building custom plugins and the bot's dynamic workflow capabilities.

Takeaways

  • 🤖 William created a bot named Codan to assist with code review and reduce the need for repetitive context explanations.
  • 🔗 Codan can integrate with Dropbox and GitHub, allowing it to access and review entire projects directly from these platforms.
  • 📂 The bot uses a local link to a drive to review files and understand the context of a project without needing the same explanations repeatedly.
  • 💡 Slash commands were added to improve efficiency by linking to the bot's knowledge in a text file, making it easier to perform specific actions.
  • 📝 Codan accepts text files, including Python files, and can perform text-based analysis to review code and provide suggestions.
  • 🔍 The bot can delve into project architecture, identify major errors, and trace issues without needing to start a new conversation for context.
  • 📈 William uses a personal API to create a Flask application that the bot can interact with for reading text files and extracting information.
  • 🛠️ The bot is designed with a workflow that includes discovery, planning, and execution to effectively address coding issues and questions.
  • 🧩 Codan's skills include integration with cloud services, project architecture knowledge, file and folder discovery, and command execution.
  • 📐 The bot's primary workflow involves assessing the project, planning based on the problem, and executing solutions, which can operate semi-autonomously.
  • 📚 Custom plugins can be created for Codan, such as those for Dropbox, GitHub, and QuickBooks, enhancing its functionality and integration capabilities.

Q & A

  • What is the name of the bot that William built?

    -The bot's name is Codan.

  • How many users have been using Codan?

    -Codan has been used by almost 10,000 users.

  • What problem was William trying to solve with Codan?

    -William was trying to solve the problem of having to repeatedly explain the context of his questions, errors, or projects to other bots.

  • How does Codan handle the complexity of different projects?

    -Codan can be given a local link to a drive, and it can go through an entire project, reading as many files as needed without requiring the user to provide the same type of explanation repeatedly.

  • What is a typical use case of Codan?

    -A typical use case is using slash commands to connect Codan to Dropbox, allowing it to review a user's code in a specific folder and provide suggestions or identify issues.

  • How does Codan integrate with Dropbox?

    -Codan uses the Dropbox API to connect and access files in a user's Dropbox. It can retrieve text files from Dropbox and send them to a personal API for analysis.

  • What is the primary value of Codan for a user?

    -The primary value of Codan is its ability to review code and provide suggestions while having enough context regarding the user's project, eliminating the need to repeat project context.

  • How does Codan assist in resolving issues in a project?

    -Codan can connect to an endpoint, go to the function that is being called, and its sub-functions to try to resolve any issues the user is experiencing.

  • What are the three key steps in Codan's operation?

    -The three key steps are Discovery (context understanding), Planning, and Execution.

  • How does Codan's workflow with slash commands work?

    -When a user enters a slash command, Codan refers to a linked text file to understand the action being requested and performs the corresponding task.

  • What is the purpose of creating custom plugins in Codan?

    -Custom plugins allow Codan to integrate with various services like Dropbox, GitHub, and QuickBooks, enabling it to perform specific tasks and provide more tailored assistance to the user.

  • How does Codan maintain a dynamic and efficient workflow?

    -Codan uses a combination of LLM components, custom code, knowledge inputs, and conditions within its workflow interface, allowing for the addition of different kinds of plugins, nested workflows, and slash commands for efficiency.

Outlines

00:00

🤖 Introduction to Codan: A Context-Aware Coding Bot

William discusses the inspiration behind creating Codan, a bot designed to understand the context of a programmer's question or project without requiring repetitive explanations. Codan can access a user's local drive, review entire projects, and read multiple files. It has been utilized by nearly 10,000 users. William also talks about implementing slash commands for efficiency and demonstrates how Codan connects to Dropbox, reviews a Flask app, and provides detailed insights into the code's functionality.

05:01

🛠️ Building Codan's Capabilities and Plugins

The paragraph delves into the skills that Codan possesses, such as integrating with Dropbox or GitHub, understanding project architectures, and discovering files and folders. The workflow of Codan is outlined, starting from discovery to planning and execution. The autonomy of Codan is highlighted, emphasizing its ability to work semi-independently. The process of creating plugins is explained, from finding an API to debugging and publishing. Details are provided on how to input parameters for a plugin, including path and request type, and the importance of descriptions for guiding the bot's actions.

10:02

🔌 Creating and Managing Custom Plugins for Codan

This section focuses on the creation of custom plugins for Codan, with examples including Dropbox, GitHub, and QuickBooks integrations. The process involves setting up API connections, handling authentication, and defining the scope of permissions. The paragraph also discusses the development of a plugin interface, where developers can control the name, code, and client information. Debugging and testing mechanisms are covered, along with the ability to publish and manage plugins through an import tool. The versatility of the workflow interface is praised for its dynamic nature, allowing for the addition of various components, including custom code and conditions.

15:04

📘 Workflow Efficiency and Slash Command Integration

The final paragraph addresses the efficiency of using workflows and the decision to integrate slash commands into the workflow rather than the main prompt. This choice prevents the bot from checking the command unnecessarily until a specific command is given. The flexibility of the workflow interface is emphasized, allowing for toggling between Python and JavaScript, and the use of knowledge bases that, while sometimes temperamental, offer valuable context to the bot's operations.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Codan

Codan is a bot that assists in code review and project analysis. It is designed to understand the context of a user's coding project without requiring repetitive explanations. In the video, Codan is described as being used by nearly 10,000 users, highlighting its popularity and utility among developers.

💡Contextual Understanding

Contextual understanding refers to the bot's ability to comprehend the user's code or project without needing the user to constantly provide background information. This feature is crucial for efficiency in problem-solving and is a key selling point of the bot, as mentioned when the creator discusses the frustration of having to repeatedly explain project details.

💡Slash Commands

Slash commands are a feature that allows users to interact with the bot using specific keywords or phrases. They are linked to the bot's knowledge base and streamline the process of requesting particular actions. In the script, the creator uses a slash command to connect his Dropbox, demonstrating how these commands can simplify interactions with the bot.

💡Dropbox API

The Dropbox API is a set of programming instructions that allows the bot to interact with Dropbox services. It's used for accessing and managing files stored on Dropbox. The video transcript describes how the bot uses the Dropbox API to retrieve files for review, emphasizing the bot's integration capabilities.

💡GitHub Integration

GitHub integration allows the bot to connect with GitHub repositories, providing the bot with access to the user's code files directly from the platform. This integration is part of the bot's ability to function with contextual knowledge, as it draws from the code files in the repository to assist the user, as discussed in the video.

💡Code Review

Code review is the process of examining software code to detect and correct errors, vulnerabilities, and maintain code quality. In the context of the video, the bot performs code reviews by analyzing the user's code, listing endpoints, and providing detailed feedback, which is a primary function of the bot.

💡API Endpoint

An API endpoint is a specific location in a programmed system that an external application can use to interact with that system. In the script, the bot is given an endpoint to analyze, which it uses to review the associated code and provide insights to the user.

💡Workflow

A workflow in the context of the bot refers to a sequence of steps or actions that the bot performs when a certain condition is met, such as receiving a slash command. The video describes how the bot uses workflows to manage tasks and execute actions based on user input.

💡Plugins

Plugins in this context are extensions or add-ons that enhance the bot's functionality. The creator discusses building custom plugins for the bot, such as those for Dropbox and GitHub, which allow the bot to interact with these services and perform tasks like reading text files or managing code repositories.

💡Personal API

A personal API is a custom-built application programming interface created by the user for specific tasks. In the video, the creator mentions creating a personal API that the bot uses to extract text from files, demonstrating how users can extend the bot's capabilities with their own services.

💡Debugging

Debugging is the process of identifying and removing bugs or errors from a software program. The video script discusses a debugging mechanism for the bot's plugins, which allows the creator to test and ensure that the plugins function correctly before they are used by the bot.

Highlights

Codan, a bot for code review, has been used by nearly 10,000 users.

The bot was created to address the repetitive task of explaining code context to AI.

Codan can review entire projects through a local link on the user's drive.

Slash commands were added to improve efficiency as the bot's complexity grew.

The bot integrates with Dropbox and GitHub for seamless code file access.

Dropbox API authorization is set up using oAuth for secure data handling.

Codan reviews code by listing endpoints and their functionalities with high accuracy.

The bot provides a broader perspective on architecture and helps trace major errors.

Users can avoid repeating project context due to the bot's repository and code file connections.

The bot operates in three key steps: Discovery, Planning, and Execution.

Codan's primary skills include Dropbox and GitHub integration and project architecture expertise.

Folder and file discovery allows the bot to navigate and understand projects for better suggestions.

The bot can work semi-autonomously without losing control over its functions.

Codan's creator aimed to give it a distinct personality, resembling a seasoned developer.

The bot uses a 128 context window and GP4 with a mid-range temperature setting for responses.

Custom plugins can be created for the bot, such as for Dropbox, GitHub, and QuickBooks.

The QuickBooks plugin can perform every function of QuickBooks, including generating profit and loss statements.

Workflows can be created and customized within the bot, allowing for dynamic and complex operations.

The bot's interface allows toggling between Python and JavaScript for plugin and workflow development.