Expose dispatch action type constants

[abishekreddy]

Feature Request

Describe the suggestion or request in detail

In webchat customization scenarios, to set dispatch events or to intercept events using a middleware, the type has to be set to a string like WEB_CHAT/SET_TEXT. It would be great if you could expose the list of supported events as part of a constant so that we don't have strings sprayed across the project and devs can check which events are supported. Also, If the text associated with a particular event is changed here for some reason, devs wouldn't have to update it in their projects too.

[Enhancement]

[corinagum]

Thank you for the submission! We will discuss this as a team and get back to you. :)

@compulim, this seems like a good idea to me. Thoughts?

[tdurnford]

It might also be nice to expose some of the action functions as well.

import { sendEvent, sendMessage, sendMessageBack } from 'botframework-webchat-core'

...

store.dispatch(sendMessage('Hello, World!')); 

However, we probably don't want to expose some of the action functions such as the connection and speech related actions.

[compulim]

Yap, I was using DIRECT_LINE/* (internal) and WEB_CHAT/* (external), but probably need to revisit again to see if they are still appropriate.

[compulim]

FYI, I am working on redesigning the Web Chat API for the React side, didn't touch Redux yet.

After that work #2364 is completed, we can look at Redux store. I need to play around to understand more. Before hitting too deep, I have some bias, but not well thought out:

• If the dev is using Web Chat UI (they are using Redux with React)
  • Try to discourage Redux
    • Still usable, but you probably don't need it
    • May be update our sample and docs, so we are cutting the knowledge, and newcomers will use it in a newer way
  • Devs can use another way to do the work they are doing today, we need to identify these paths, for example,
    • Transforming outgoing activities before sending out (piggybacking data)
    • Transforming/filtering activities before process it (backchannel)
  • Speech is UI, we should move things from speech-related stuff from Redux to React
• If the dev is using Web Chat Core (they are using pure Redux without React)
  • Keep it as-is, or even friendlier
  • Expose action creators that we support, hide action creators they shouldn't normally need

This work won't fit in 4.6 (release in late October or early November). Not sure about 4.7.

[cwhitten]

Loading this up for discussion and prioritization for an upcoming release.