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Getting Started with Programmable Services SDK ​

This SDK helps you build service that can be deployed on Hubtel's platform in all channels (Web, USSD and Hubtel mobile app). Here are a few advantages of using this SDK:

  • Improved response times: Reflected instances are cached at startup and served faster
  • Dependency Injection: Controllers can now leverage .NET Core's DI pattern. No need to attempt to create custom DI containers
  • Unified experience for USSD, Web, POS and mobile apps. JSON response from this SDK contains properties that are actually needed by Hubtel's Programmable Services API. No more "NextRoute", "IsRelease" properties hanging around.
  • Simplified programming pattern. A few lines of code can get you up and running.

In order to get started with Hubtel.ProgrammableServices.Sdk, do the following activities

Install-Package Hubtel.ProgrammableServices.Sdk ​

This command is used to install a NuGet package into your project. NuGet is a package manager for the Microsoft development platform, and it's a way to distribute and consume reusable code. Hubtel.ProgrammableServices.Sdk is the name of the package that you want to install.

C#
    Install-Package Hubtel.ProgrammableServices.Sdk

Add to IServiceCollection in Program.cs or Startup.cs ​

c#
     // in ConfigureServices method
 services.AddHubtelProgrammableServices((p) =>
           {
                return new ProgrammableServiceConfiguration
                {
                    Storage = new DefaultProgrammableServiceStorage()
                };
            });

//in Configure method (if you want to ignore MVC controllers, else ignore this line)
 //app.UseHubtelProgrammableService("/myapp", nameof(TestController));


 //sample controller
  public class TestController : ProgrammableServiceControllerBase
    {
        private readonly ILogger<TestController> _logger;

        public TestController(ILogger<TestController> logger)
        {
            _logger = logger;
        }

        
       
        [HandleInitiation]
        public async Task<ProgrammableServiceResponse> Start()
        {
            return await RenderResponse("hello world!");
        }

        private async Task<ProgrammableServiceResponse> RenderResponse(string response)
        {
            var resp = Render(response, null, null);
            // setup rich ux for web and mobile
            resp.Label = response;
            resp.DataType = ProgrammableServiceDataTypes.Display;
            return await Task.FromResult(resp);
        }

       

        
    }

What does the SDK really do? ​

A POST request is issued to your application from Hubtel when a user wants to interact with your service. Your application is expected to respond promptly (<= 7s for USSD applications)

json
//sample request from Hubtel
{
  "Mobile":"233244234546", 
  "SessionId":"234567ityjhgwe654765utrye",  
  "ServiceCode":"7c920dc49b7a40588c657119ce599044", 
  "Type":"initiation", 
  "Message":"*711*23#", 
  "Operator":"mtn",
  "Platform":"USSD"
}

//SDK takes this request, parses it, finds method marked as HandleInitiation, and invoke it for a response. Below is sample response:

{
  "type": "Response",
  "message": "Enter mobile number:\r\n",
  "clientState": null,
  "label": "Enter mobile number",
  "dataType": "input",
  "fieldType": "phone",
  "fieldName": "mobileNumber",
  "persistAsFavoriteStep": true,
  "item": null,
  "addToCart": null,
  "data": null
}

Many in-built features including pagination, data store (default is in-memory dictionary), interaction elements (such as Menu, Form and Input) can help you to get up to speed.

Refer to https://developers.hubtel.com/docs/general-services-1 for more information