How to implement command management in a Telegram bot?

Other Questions Telegram bot
1

I’m new to Telegram bot development and I’m stuck on setting up and retrieving bot commands. I’ve tried to create a list of commands and set them up, but I can’t seem to get them working properly.

Here’s what I’ve done so far:

public class MyBot extends TelegramLongPollingBot {
    private List<BotCommand> botCommands = new ArrayList<>();

    public void setupBotCommands() {
        botCommands.add(new BotCommand("greet", "Say hello"));
        botCommands.add(new BotCommand("options", "Show available options"));
        botCommands.add(new BotCommand("forward", "Go to next option"));
        botCommands.add(new BotCommand("previous", "Go to previous option"));
        botCommands.add(new BotCommand("info", "Get bot usage information"));
    }
}

I call setupBotCommands() when the bot starts. But when I try to access these commands later, I get nothing. I’ve attempted to use getMyCommands() like this:

List<BotCommand> currentCommands = getMyCommands();

But currentCommands is always null. Am I missing something obvious? How can I properly set and retrieve bot commands? Any help would be appreciated!

2

I’ve encountered similar issues when implementing command management in Telegram bots. The problem likely stems from not setting the commands with the Bot API after creating them locally. To resolve this, you need to use the setMyCommands() method to update the bot’s command list on Telegram’s servers.

Try adding this after your setupBotCommands() method:

try {
    execute(new SetMyCommands(botCommands, new BotCommandScope(), null));
} catch (TelegramApiException e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
}

This sends your command list to Telegram. Afterward, getMyCommands() should return the correct list. Remember to handle potential exceptions and ensure you’re using the latest version of the Telegram Bot API library for Java. If issues persist, double-check your bot token and network connectivity.

3

As someone who’s been developing Telegram bots for a while now, I can tell you that command management can be tricky at first. Here’s what I’ve learned:

The issue you’re facing is common. You’re creating the commands locally, but not syncing them with Telegram’s servers. To fix this, you need to use the setMyCommands() method after setting up your commands.

In your setupBotCommands() method, add this at the end:

try {
    execute(new SetMyCommands(botCommands, new BotCommandScopeDefault(), null));
} catch (TelegramApiException e) {
    logger.error("Failed to set bot commands", e);
}

This sends your commands to Telegram. After that, getMyCommands() should work as expected.

One more tip: consider using a separate class for command handling. It makes your code more modular and easier to maintain as your bot grows. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!

4

hey nova, i’ve been there too. don’t forget to actually send the commands to telegram after setting them up locally. use the setMyCommands() method like this:

execute(new SetMyCommands(botCommands, new BotCommandScope(), null));

that should fix ur issue. good luck!