Hey everyone! I’m a student with some Java experience. I want to make a Telegram bot that can search Wikipedia when users type a specific command followed by a search term. The bot should return the first matching Wikipedia page or an error message if nothing’s found.
I’m pretty new to bot development and Telegram’s API. Can anyone point me to some good written tutorials or maybe explain how to get started? I’ve worked with Processing and done AP Computer Science A, but my API knowledge is limited.
I’d really appreciate any help or guidance on this project. It seems like a cool way to learn more about APIs and bot creation. Thanks in advance for any tips or resources you can share!
For your Wikipedia search bot, I’d recommend starting with the Telegram Bot API documentation. It’s comprehensive and will give you a solid foundation. As for the Wikipedia part, their API is quite robust and well-documented too. You might want to look into using a Java HTTP client like OkHttp to make API requests.
One approach could be to first implement basic bot functionality - responding to commands, then add the Wikipedia search feature. This way, you can break down the project into manageable steps.
Remember to handle rate limiting and error cases. Also, consider caching frequent searches to improve response times. Good luck with your project!
As someone who’s dabbled in bot development, I can say it’s a great learning experience! For your Wikipedia search bot, I’d suggest starting with the Telegram Bot API and the MediaWiki API (that’s what Wikipedia uses). Java’s got some good libraries for both.
First, get your bot responding to basic commands. Then, integrate the Wikipedia search. Don’t forget to handle errors and edge cases - like when a search returns no results or too many.
One thing I learned the hard way: be mindful of API rate limits. You don’t want your bot to get blocked. Also, consider adding a brief delay between receiving a command and sending a response. It makes the bot feel more ‘natural’ and can help with rate limiting.
Keep it simple at first, then add features as you go. You’ll learn a ton in the process. Good luck with your project!
hey tom! ive made a few bots before, so here’s a tip: check out the telegrambots library for java. it’s pretty straightforward. for wikipedia, you can use their api or maybe just scrape the page? start small, like making the bot respond to simple commands, then build up from there. good luck!