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MacEwan Chatbot Assistant

This project consists of a backend (Python FastAPI server) and a frontend (React-based web application) for the MacEwan chatbot assistant.

Table of Contents

  1. Project Structure
  2. Requirements
  3. Setting up the Virtual Environment
  4. Backend Setup and Running
  5. Frontend Setup and Running
  6. Running Both Backend and Frontend Together
  7. API Calls
  8. Images

Project Structure

MacEwan_Chatbot_Assistant
├── back-end/
│   ├── chat_bot/
│   │   ├── crawlers/
│   │   │   └── ReaderCrawler.py
│   ├── .env
│   ├── main.py
│   ├── vector_store.py
│   └── app.py
├── front-end/
│   ├── public/
│   │   ├── favicon.ico
│   │   ├── index.html
│   │   ├── manifest.json
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/
│   │   ├── images/
│   │   ├── App.js
│   │   ├── index.js
│   │   └── styles.css
│   ├── package.json
│   ├── package-lock.json
├── venv/
├── .gitignore
├── README.md
└── requirements.txt

Requirements

  • Python 3.12
  • Node.js 14+
  • npm 6+

Setting up the Virtual Environment

To efficiently manage Python dependencies and run backend services, it's recommended to use a virtual environment, though it's not mandatory.

Step 1: Creating the Virtual Environment

In the root directory of the project, execute:

python3.12 -m venv venv

Step 2: Activating the Virtual Environment

  • On Windows:

    .\venv\Scripts\activate

  • On macOS/Linux:

    source venv/bin/activate

Step 3: Installing the Dependencies

With the virtual environment activated, install the required Python packages from requirements.txt:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Backend Setup and Running

If you prefer to run the backend locally instead of using the hosted version on Render (https://macewan-chatbot-backend.onrender.com/query), follow these steps. The backend uses FastAPI and integrates with Coheres, langchain and PineCones APIs.

Step 1: Set Up Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the back-end/ directory and add the necessary environment variables:

HUGGINGFACE_API_TOKEN=your_api_key_here
PINECONE_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
COHERE_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Step 2: Running the Backend Server Locally

With the virtual environment active and dependencies installed, navigate to the back-end directory and start the FastAPI server using uvicorn:

uvicorn back-end.app:app --reload
  • The backend will be accessible at: http://127.0.0.1:8000

Frontend Setup and Running

To modify the frontend appearance, follow these steps.

Step 1: Install Dependencies

Navigate to the front-end/ directory and install the required Node.js dependencies:

npm install
npm start

The frontend will be accessible at http://localhost:3000.

Running Both Backend and Frontend Together

Start the Backend

Activate the Python virtual environment and run the FastAPI server as described in the Backend Setup and Running section.

Start the Frontend

Navigate to the front-end/ directory and start the React development server as described in the Frontend Setup and Running section.

Interaction

The React frontend will send API requests to the backend running at http://127.0.0.1:8000 (or any other backend server you configure).

API Calls

The frontend communicates with the backend using the following API call:

const response = await fetch(
  `https://macewan-chatbot-backend.onrender.com/query/?query=${encodeURIComponent(userInput)}&session_id=${sessionId}`,
  {
    method: "GET",
    headers: {
      "Session-ID": sessionId,
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
  }
);
  • Endpoint: /query/
  • Method: GET
  • Parameters:
    • query: The user input to be processed by the chatbot.
    • session_id: A identifier for the session.
  • Headers:
    • Session-ID: The session identifier.
    • Content-Type: application/json

Images

chatbot_screenshot