Python-powered chat apps with Twilio and SendGrid Transcripts
Chapter: Creating the Flask Python web app
Lecture: Concept: Calling an API in studio parameters

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0:00 At the very end of our studio flow,
0:02 we gathered up all the information.
0:04 We need to send that over to the Cloud City Cake Company and actually record the
0:08 order. Tell the Bakers here is what the user,
0:11 through chat through WhatsApp has decided they want.
0:14 Let's get that started. So in order to do that,
0:17 we decided to create an API of our own.
0:20 And we did that in Flask,
0:21 and we hosted it through in ngrok,
0:23 Remember, one of the challenges is how does Twilio Studio running up in the cloud
0:28 get all the way back into your machine, so it can call those API You can
0:32 test it. So we did that with in ngrok,
0:34 and that's what will be this cloud city.ngrok.io domain here.
0:38 And then it goes to /api/order.
0:40 And this time we decided we're making a change and we want to submit a complex
0:45 JSON body. So we made the request method post.
0:49 We changed the content type of application,
0:51 JSON. And then we just typed out the JSON document here at the end and
0:55 where the values went, we put whatever came from the various widgets and things in
1:01 the flow. We use liquid to get that back.
1:05 One thing to realize here is that puts the raw text into this field.
1:08 But in JSON, that has to be put in quotes unless it's a number or
1:12 something like that. But strings have to go in quotes,
1:15 so we have to put double quotes around both of these.
1:18 It's not super obvious, but that right there is a double quote,
1:22 just like the one at the end of the line.
1:24 The thing that's happening, I believe,
1:25 is that blue outline that highlights the fact that this is some kind of liquid template
1:31 section. It's Z order. Its position is above or in front of the part
1:36 of the double quote, so just be really careful.
1:39 There's weird things around, like spaces and quotes that kind of get obscured.
1:42 So you just have to do a little testing.
1:44 But be really careful on the lookout.
1:45 That's double quote on both ends,
1:47 even though visually, it doesn't look that way.
1:49 So this is a really great way for the studio flow to hand off control of
1:53 what happens next over to our flask application. and it was python from there on up.