Poll bot
!poll Pizza or tacos? and the room votes. One vote per person, however many tabs they have open, and the result when the time is up.
Works today With @pikoman/ws 1.0.0-rc.10 from npm and Pikoman as it runs now.
A folder that runs as it is, in Node and Python: poll.mjs, poll.py, .env.example, README.md, package.json, page.js, pikoman_bot.py, requirements.txt.
What it does
A member writes !poll Pizza or tacos?, or !poll Lunch? | Pizza | Tacos | Sushi for more options. The bot sends the poll to the pages, members vote with a client event, and after 60 seconds (or what you set) the bot posts the tally and the winner, or a tie.
- !poll …
- poll bot
- votes
- result
The key it needs
Rights subscribe and client_events on the room prefix: it may join the rooms and speak in them, and nothing else.
- Start from
- Chosen: Bot
- Name
- Poll bot
- Rights
- Not chosen:
publishNot chosen:statsNot chosen:clientsNot chosen:disconnectNot chosen:disconnect_allChosen:subscribeChosen:client_eventsNot chosen:kickNot chosen:ban - Channel kinds
- Not chosen: public Not chosen: private Chosen: presence
- Channels
- Chosen: Only some channelsprefix
presence-chat- - Addresses
- Chosen: Only these addressesthe server the bot runs on
- Expires
- Never, or in 90 days for a trial
Set up
The docs cover the key and connecting; everything about the bot itself is on this page.
- The Pro plan. A key that joins channels is a bot’s key, and bot keys come with Pro.
- The key above. In the dashboard: your app, New API key, filled in as shown. How each choice works: Keys and rights. The secret,
sk_k_….…, is shown once (what it looks like). - Your app id and the secret in
.env, copied from.env.example. Nowhere else: not in a page, not in git. - Connecting. The bot signs its own join tokens with the key, and Pikoman shows it as a bot: bots in presence channels.
- Your members join with tokens your backend signs, with their name and user id in the member data,
{"user_id": "42", "name": "Ada"}: the token endpoint.
How it works
It reads the command
“Pizza or tacos?” splits on or; with
|the first part is the question and the rest the options, up to six. One poll at a time per room.It opens the poll
client-pollwith an id, the question and the options, for the pages to draw buttons, and a line in the chat.It counts one vote per user
A vote is
room.send("vote", {poll, option}). The bot keys it by theuser_idin the member data your backend signed, so a second tab or a second vote replaces the first. Votes for another poll, for options that do not exist and from bots are ignored.It posts the result
client-poll-resultwith the counts for the pages, and a line: “Pizza 1, tacos 2. tacos wins.”
The source
These are the files in the zip, as they are: copy one, download one, or take the whole folder.
Node: poll.mjs
// poll.mjs: runs a vote in a chat room. A member writes "!poll Pizza or tacos?" (or
// "!poll Lunch? | Pizza | Tacos | Sushi"), the bot opens the poll, members vote with a client
// event, and when the time is up it posts the result. One vote per user: the user id comes from
// the member data your backend signed, so nobody votes twice by opening a second tab.
// Node 22+. npm install, then npm start (reads .env).
//
// Its key (dashboard, New API key): rights subscribe and client_events, kind presence,
// channels: prefix presence-chat-.
import { Pikoman, OfflineAuthenticator } from "@pikoman/ws";
const ROOMS = (process.env.ROOMS || "presence-chat-lobby").split(",");
const SECONDS = Number(process.env.POLL_SECONDS || 60);
const pikoman = new Pikoman(process.env.PIKOMAN_APP, {
ws_address: process.env.PIKOMAN_WS || "wss://next.pikoman.se",
});
const auth = OfflineAuthenticator.fromSecret(process.env.PIKOMAN_API_KEY, { name: "Poll" }, 3);
/** "Pizza or tacos?" -> two options; "Lunch? | Pizza | Tacos" -> a question and its options. */
function parse(text) {
const parts = text.split("|").map((s) => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
if (parts.length >= 3) return { question: parts[0], options: parts.slice(1, 7) };
const options = text.replace(/\?\s*$/, "").split(/\s+or\s+/i).map((s) => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
return options.length >= 2 ? { question: text, options: options.slice(0, 6) } : null;
}
for (const name of ROOMS) {
const room = pikoman.listenPresence(name, auth);
let poll = null; // the open poll in this room: { id, question, options, votes: Map(user -> option) }
// Who a member is: the user id in the member data your backend signed, or the connection.
const userOf = (from) => room.getMember(from)?.user_id ?? from;
room.onClient("message", (from, data) => {
const text = String(data?.text ?? "").trim();
if (!text.toLowerCase().startsWith("!poll ") || room.isBot(from)) return;
if (poll) return room.send("message", { text: `A poll is already open: ${poll.question}` });
const parsed = parse(text.slice(6).trim());
if (!parsed) return room.send("message", { text: 'Try "!poll Pizza or tacos?" or "!poll Lunch? | Pizza | Tacos | Sushi"' });
poll = { id: Date.now().toString(36), ...parsed, votes: new Map() };
const who = room.getMember(from)?.name ?? "Someone";
// The poll itself, for the pages to draw buttons, and a line for the chat.
room.send("poll", { id: poll.id, question: poll.question, options: poll.options, seconds: SECONDS });
room.send("message", { text: `${who} asks: ${poll.question} Vote within ${SECONDS} s.` });
setTimeout(close, SECONDS * 1000);
});
// A vote: room.send("vote", { poll: id, option: 0 }) on the member's page. The last one counts.
room.onClient("vote", (from, data) => {
if (!poll || data?.poll !== poll.id || room.isBot(from)) return;
const option = Number(data?.option);
if (!Number.isInteger(option) || option < 0 || option >= poll.options.length) return;
poll.votes.set(userOf(from), option);
});
function close() {
const counts = poll.options.map((_, i) => [...poll.votes.values()].filter((v) => v === i).length);
const top = Math.max(...counts);
const winners = poll.options.filter((_, i) => counts[i] === top);
const tally = poll.options.map((o, i) => `${o} ${counts[i]}`).join(", ");
const verdict = top === 0 ? "No votes." : winners.length > 1 ? `A tie: ${winners.join(" and ")}.` : `${winners[0]} wins.`;
room.send("poll-result", { id: poll.id, question: poll.question, options: poll.options, counts });
room.send("message", { text: `${poll.question} ${tally}. ${verdict}` });
poll = null;
}
room.refused((code) => console.error(`${name}: ${code}`));
}
console.log(`Polls in ${ROOMS.join(", ")}`);
pikoman.revoked(() => {
console.error("The bot's key was deleted.");
process.exit(1);
});Python: poll.py
"""poll.py: runs a vote in a chat room, in Python. A member writes "!poll Pizza or tacos?" (or
"!poll Lunch? | Pizza | Tacos | Sushi"), the bot opens the poll, members vote with a client event,
and when the time is up it posts the result. One vote per user: the user id comes from the member
data your backend signed, so nobody votes twice by opening a second tab.
Python 3.10+. pip install -r requirements.txt, then python poll.py (reads .env).
Its key (dashboard, New API key): rights subscribe and client_events, kind presence,
channels: prefix presence-chat-.
"""
import asyncio
import re
import time
from pikoman_bot import Bot, env
ROOMS = env("ROOMS", "presence-chat-lobby").split(",")
SECONDS = int(env("POLL_SECONDS", "60"))
bot = Bot("Poll", access=3)
def parse(text):
""""Pizza or tacos?" -> two options; "Lunch? | Pizza | Tacos" -> a question and its options."""
parts = [p.strip() for p in text.split("|") if p.strip()]
if len(parts) >= 3:
return {"question": parts[0], "options": parts[1:7]}
options = [o.strip() for o in re.split(r"\s+or\s+", re.sub(r"\?\s*$", "", text), flags=re.I) if o.strip()]
return {"question": text, "options": options[:6]} if len(options) >= 2 else None
def run_polls(room):
state = {"poll": None} # the open poll: id, question, options, votes (user -> option)
def user_of(sender):
# Who a member is: the user id in the member data your backend signed, or the connection.
return room.member(sender).get("user_id", sender)
@room.on("message")
async def message(sender, data, info):
text = str((data or {}).get("text", "")).strip()
if not text.lower().startswith("!poll ") or room.is_bot(sender):
return
if state["poll"]:
return await room.send("message", {"text": f"A poll is already open: {state['poll']['question']}"})
parsed = parse(text[6:].strip())
if not parsed:
return await room.send("message", {"text": 'Try "!poll Pizza or tacos?" or "!poll Lunch? | Pizza | Tacos | Sushi"'})
poll = state["poll"] = {"id": format(int(time.time() * 1000), "x"), **parsed, "votes": {}}
who = room.member(sender).get("name", "Someone")
# The poll itself, for the pages to draw buttons, and a line for the chat.
await room.send("poll", {"id": poll["id"], "question": poll["question"], "options": poll["options"], "seconds": SECONDS})
await room.send("message", {"text": f"{who} asks: {poll['question']} Vote within {SECONDS} s."})
poll["task"] = asyncio.create_task(close_after(SECONDS)) # kept, so it is not collected while it waits
# A vote: room.send("vote", { poll: id, option: 0 }) on the member's page. The last one counts.
@room.on("vote")
def vote(sender, data, info):
poll = state["poll"]
if not poll or not isinstance(data, dict) or data.get("poll") != poll["id"] or room.is_bot(sender):
return
option = data.get("option")
if type(option) is int and 0 <= option < len(poll["options"]):
poll["votes"][user_of(sender)] = option
async def close_after(seconds):
await asyncio.sleep(seconds)
poll, state["poll"] = state["poll"], None
counts = [list(poll["votes"].values()).count(i) for i in range(len(poll["options"]))]
top = max(counts)
winners = [o for o, c in zip(poll["options"], counts) if c == top]
tally = ", ".join(f"{o} {c}" for o, c in zip(poll["options"], counts))
verdict = "No votes." if top == 0 else f"A tie: {' and '.join(winners)}." if len(winners) > 1 else f"{winners[0]} wins."
await room.send("poll-result", {"id": poll["id"], "question": poll["question"], "options": poll["options"], "counts": counts})
await room.send("message", {"text": f"{poll['question']} {tally}. {verdict}"})
for name in ROOMS:
run_polls(bot.join(name))
print(f"Polls in {', '.join(ROOMS)}")
bot.start()On your page: page.js
// page.js: the poll on a member's page. Buttons when a poll opens, the result when it closes.
// Trust only what the bot says: room.isBot(from) is set by the server, never by a member.
// `room` is the presence channel your page already joined: pikoman.listenPresence("presence-chat-lobby").
export function showPolls(room, box) {
room.onClient("poll", (from, { id, question, options }) => {
if (!room.isBot(from)) return;
box.replaceChildren(Object.assign(document.createElement("p"), { textContent: question }));
options.forEach((option, i) => {
const button = Object.assign(document.createElement("button"), { type: "button", textContent: option });
button.addEventListener("click", () => room.send("vote", { poll: id, option: i }));
box.append(button);
});
});
room.onClient("poll-result", (from, { question, options, counts }) => {
if (!room.isBot(from)) return;
const lines = options.map((option, i) => `${option}: ${counts[i]}`);
box.replaceChildren(Object.assign(document.createElement("p"), { textContent: `${question} ${lines.join(", ")}` }));
});
}pikoman_bot.py: what every Python bot here shares, the tokens, the websocket and the rooms
"""pikoman_bot.py: what a Pikoman bot needs in Python, in one file next to the bot.
- Rest: signed HTTP requests (publish, to one member, stats), each with a token made for that
one request, as KEYS.md says: the method, the path and a hash of the exact body.
- Bot and Room: a websocket that joins presence channels with join tokens signed by the bot's
own API key, keeps the member list (and which members are bots), hands client events to your
handlers, sends, sends to one member and kicks. It reconnects by itself.
Python 3.10+, pip install -r requirements.txt (websockets, BSD-3-Clause; cryptography,
Apache-2.0 OR BSD-3-Clause). Reads PIKOMAN_APP, PIKOMAN_API_KEY and, for tests, PIKOMAN_WS and
PIKOMAN_HTTP from the environment or from a .env file beside the bot.
"""
import asyncio
import base64
import hashlib
import inspect
import json
import os
import random
import signal
import time
import urllib.error
import urllib.parse
import urllib.request
from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.asymmetric.ed25519 import Ed25519PrivateKey
from websockets.asyncio.client import connect
from websockets.exceptions import ConnectionClosed
LOCAL = ("localhost", "127.0.0.1", "[::1]")
def load_env(path=".env"):
"""KEY=value lines from .env; what the environment already has wins."""
try:
with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as file:
lines = file.read().splitlines()
except FileNotFoundError:
return
for line in lines:
line = line.strip()
if not line or line.startswith("#") or "=" not in line:
continue
name, value = (part.strip() for part in line.split("=", 1))
value = value.strip("\"'")
if value and name not in os.environ:
os.environ[name] = value
load_env()
def env(name, default=""):
"""A setting from the environment; empty counts as not set."""
return os.environ.get(name) or default
def b64(data: bytes) -> str:
return base64.urlsafe_b64encode(data).rstrip(b"=").decode()
def checked(address: str, secure: str) -> str:
"""https:// or wss://; plain http:// or ws:// only to this computer, so keys never go in the clear."""
parsed = urllib.parse.urlsplit(address)
if parsed.scheme != secure and not (parsed.scheme == secure[:-1] and parsed.hostname in ("localhost", "127.0.0.1", "::1")):
raise ValueError(f"{address}: use {secure}:// (plain {secure[:-1]}:// only for localhost)")
return address.rstrip("/")
class PikomanError(Exception):
def __init__(self, status, text):
super().__init__(f"{status}: {text}")
self.status = status
class Key:
"""An API key's secret, sk_<key id>.<seed>: the id goes in each token's header, the seed signs it."""
def __init__(self, secret: str):
if not secret.startswith("sk_") or "." not in secret:
raise ValueError("PIKOMAN_API_KEY looks like sk_k_….…: the secret the dashboard showed once")
key_id, seed = secret[3:].split(".", 1)
self.id = key_id
self._key = Ed25519PrivateKey.from_private_bytes(base64.urlsafe_b64decode(seed + "=" * (-len(seed) % 4)))
def sign(self, claims: dict) -> str:
"""An EdDSA JWT with the key id in its header."""
header = {"alg": "EdDSA", "typ": "JWT", "kid": self.id}
signed = b64(json.dumps(header).encode()) + "." + b64(json.dumps(claims).encode())
return signed + "." + b64(self._key.sign(signed.encode()))
def __repr__(self):
return f"Key({self.id}, [hidden])"
def target(member) -> dict:
"""A connection id ("c_…"), or {"user_id": "42"} for every connection of that user."""
if isinstance(member, dict):
return {"to_user": str(member["user_id"])}
return {"to": member}
class Rest:
"""The HTTP API, every request signed with the API key and bound to that one request."""
def __init__(self, app=None, api_key=None, address=None):
self.app = app or env("PIKOMAN_APP")
if not self.app:
raise ValueError("Set PIKOMAN_APP: your app id, app-…")
self.key = Key(api_key or env("PIKOMAN_API_KEY"))
self.address = checked(address or env("PIKOMAN_HTTP", "https://next-api.pikoman.se"), "https")
def request(self, method: str, path: str, data=None) -> dict:
body = b"" if data is None else json.dumps(data).encode()
now = int(time.time())
token = self.key.sign({
"iss": self.app, "iat": now, "exp": now + 60, "htm": method, "htu": path,
"bh": b64(hashlib.sha256(body).digest()),
})
request = urllib.request.Request(self.address + path, data=body if data is not None else None, method=method, headers={
"Authorization": "Bearer " + token,
"Content-Type": "application/json",
})
try:
with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=10) as response:
text = response.read()
return json.loads(text) if text else {}
except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
raise PikomanError(e.code, e.read().decode(errors="replace")) from None
def publish(self, channel: str, event: str, data=None, to=None) -> dict:
"""POST /{channel}/{event}; with `to`, to one member only."""
path = f"/{urllib.parse.quote(channel, safe='=@,.;')}/{urllib.parse.quote(event, safe='=@,.;')}"
if to is not None:
path += "?" + urllib.parse.urlencode(target(to))
return self.request("POST", path, data)
def stats(self, channel: str) -> dict:
return self.request("GET", f"/{urllib.parse.quote(channel, safe='=@,.;')}/stats")
async def call(fn, *args):
"""Runs a handler, plain or async; an error in it is printed and the bot goes on."""
try:
result = fn(*args)
if inspect.isawaitable(result):
await result
except Exception as e: # noqa: BLE001: one handler must never stop the bot
print(f"handler {getattr(fn, '__name__', fn)}: {e!r}")
def client_name(event: str) -> str:
return event if event.startswith("client-") else "client-" + event
class Room:
"""A presence channel the bot is in: its members, which of them are bots, and its events."""
def __init__(self, bot, name: str):
self.bot = bot
self.name = name
self.members = {} # connection id -> member data, as their join token gave it
self.bots = {} # connection id -> the API key id a bot joined with: only the server says
self._handlers = {}
self._any = []
self._joins = []
self._leaves = []
self._errors = []
def on(self, event: str):
"""@room.on("message"): fn(sender, data, info) for that client event (client-message)."""
def add(fn):
self._handlers.setdefault(client_name(event), []).append(fn)
return fn
return add
def on_any(self, fn):
"""@room.on_any: fn(sender, event, data, info) for every client event."""
self._any.append(fn)
return fn
def on_join(self, fn):
"""@room.on_join: fn(connection, data) when a member joins."""
self._joins.append(fn)
return fn
def on_leave(self, fn):
"""@room.on_leave: fn(connection, data) when a member leaves."""
self._leaves.append(fn)
return fn
def on_error(self, fn):
"""@room.on_error: fn(code), such as join_refused, not_allowed or rate_limited."""
self._errors.append(fn)
return fn
def is_bot(self, connection: str) -> bool:
return connection in self.bots
def member(self, connection: str) -> dict:
data = self.members.get(connection)
return data if isinstance(data, dict) else {}
async def send(self, event: str, data=None):
"""A client event to the other members (at most 10 a second per connection)."""
await self.bot.send({"op": "send", "channel": self.name, "event": client_name(event), "data": data, "echo": False})
async def send_to(self, member, event: str, data=None):
"""To one member only: a connection id, or {"user_id": "42"}."""
await self.bot.send({"op": "send", "channel": self.name, "event": client_name(event), "data": data, "echo": False, **target(member)})
async def kick(self, member, reason=None, ban_seconds=None):
"""Out of this room: needs the kick right (ban, with ban_seconds)."""
message = {"op": "kick", "channel": self.name, **target(member)}
if reason:
message["reason"] = reason
if ban_seconds:
message["ban_seconds"] = ban_seconds
await self.bot.send(message)
async def handle(self, message: dict):
op = message.get("op")
if op == "members":
self.members = dict(message.get("members") or {})
self.bots = dict(message.get("bots") or {})
elif op == "member_joined":
self.members[message["id"]] = message.get("data")
if message.get("bot"):
self.bots[message["id"]] = message["bot"]
for fn in self._joins:
await call(fn, message["id"], message.get("data"))
elif op == "member_left":
data = self.members.pop(message["id"], None)
self.bots.pop(message["id"], None)
for fn in self._leaves:
await call(fn, message["id"], data)
elif op == "client_event":
sender, event, data = message.get("from"), message.get("event", ""), message.get("data")
# Set by the server, never by the sender: direct (to this bot alone), user_id, bot.
info = {k: message[k] for k in ("direct", "user_id", "bot") if k in message}
for fn in self._handlers.get(event, []):
await call(fn, sender, data, info)
for fn in self._any:
await call(fn, sender, event, data, info)
elif op == "error":
print(f"{self.name}: {message.get('code')}")
for fn in self._errors:
await call(fn, message.get("code"))
class Bot:
"""One websocket for the bot, in as many rooms as it joins. await bot.run() keeps it going."""
def __init__(self, name: str, access: int = 3, app=None, api_key=None, address=None):
self.app = app or env("PIKOMAN_APP")
if not self.app:
raise ValueError("Set PIKOMAN_APP: your app id, app-…")
self.key = Key(api_key or env("PIKOMAN_API_KEY"))
self.address = checked(address or env("PIKOMAN_WS", "wss://next.pikoman.se"), "wss")
self.data = {"name": name} # what the members see next to "bot"
self.access = access # 3: may speak (the key needs client_events); 0: listens
self.rooms = {}
self.id = None
self._ws = None
self._ready = []
def join(self, channel: str) -> Room:
room = self.rooms[channel] = Room(self, channel)
return room
def on_ready(self, fn):
"""@bot.on_ready: fn() each time the bot is connected and has asked to join its rooms."""
self._ready.append(fn)
return fn
def token(self, channel: str) -> str:
"""A join token for this connection and channel, signed with the bot's API key."""
return self.key.sign({
"connection": self.id, "channel": channel, "access": self.access,
"data": self.data, "exp": int(time.time()) + 300,
})
async def send(self, message: dict):
if self._ws is not None:
await self._ws.send(json.dumps(message))
def start(self, *tasks):
"""Runs the bot (and any other coroutines, such as a web server) until Ctrl+C or SIGTERM."""
def stop(*_):
raise KeyboardInterrupt
signal.signal(signal.SIGTERM, stop) # as from systemd or podman stop: the same as Ctrl+C
async def main():
await asyncio.gather(self.run(), *tasks)
try:
asyncio.run(main())
except KeyboardInterrupt:
print("Stopped.")
async def run(self):
delay = 1
paused = 60 # after 4402: the first wait, doubling to five minutes
while True:
try:
async with connect(f"{self.address}/{self.app}") as ws:
self._ws = ws
async for raw in ws:
message = json.loads(raw)
if message.get("op") == "connected":
delay = 1
self.id = message["id"]
for name in self.rooms:
await self.send({"op": "join", "channel": name, "token": self.token(name)})
for fn in self._ready:
await call(fn)
elif message.get("channel") in self.rooms:
await self.rooms[message["channel"]].handle(message)
elif message.get("op") == "error":
print("pikoman:", message.get("code"))
except ConnectionClosed as e:
code = e.rcvd.code if e.rcvd is not None else None
if code == 4403:
raise SystemExit("The bot's key was deleted.") from None
if code == 4401:
raise SystemExit("The app disconnected the bot.") from None
if code == 4402:
# The key's bot rights are paused (the app's owner is off Pro): not for good.
# Try again in minutes, and the bot is back on its own when Pro is.
self._ws = None
self.id = None
print(f"The bot's key is paused until the app is on Pro again; trying again in about {paused // 60} min.")
await asyncio.sleep(random.uniform(paused / 2, paused))
paused = min(paused * 2, 300)
continue
print("connection closed:", code if code is not None else "no close frame")
except OSError as e:
print("could not connect:", e)
self._ws = None
self.id = None
paused = 60
# Back again after a random wait, longer each time it fails, up to 30 s.
await asyncio.sleep(random.uniform(0.5, delay))
delay = min(delay * 2, 30)# Copy to .env and fill in. Never commit .env.
# Your app id, app-…
PIKOMAN_APP=
# The bot's own API key, sk_k_….… (rights subscribe and client_events, prefix presence-chat-)
PIKOMAN_API_KEY=
# The rooms to run polls in, comma-separated (default presence-chat-lobby)
ROOMS=
# How long a poll is open, in seconds (default 60)
POLL_SECONDS=
# Another server than wss://next.pikoman.se, for tests
PIKOMAN_WS={
"name": "pikoman-poll-bot",
"version": "1.0.0",
"private": true,
"type": "module",
"description": "Runs a vote in a Pikoman chat room: one vote per user, the result when time is up.",
"license": "MIT",
"scripts": {
"start": "node --env-file=.env poll.mjs"
},
"engines": {
"node": ">=22"
},
"dependencies": {
"@pikoman/ws": "1.0.0-rc.10"
}
}websockets==15.0.1
cryptography==46.0.3Run it
# unpack poll-bot.zip, then in the folder:
npm install
cp .env.example .env # fill in PIKOMAN_APP and PIKOMAN_API_KEY
npm startpython -m venv .venv && . .venv/bin/activate # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
python poll.pyIdeas to take it further
- Show the tally live: send it after each vote, no more than a few times a second.
- Anonymous polls: votes can go to the bot alone with
sendTo, so members do not see each other’s. - Let only the host open a poll: check a role in the signed member data, as the quiz master does.