I wanted to give you a Friday update on the next version of Ask Alexa (designated 2.2.4). I have completed the code (I am actually working now on 2 versions ahead, making framework changes back to 2.2.4) and I am currently testing this with a number of beta testers. I am VERY happy with this is going and thought I would share some of the high level items:
Alexa Alexa Extensions: As mentioned last time, I have changed the framework of Ask Alexa to allow for other apps (from me and others) to ‘plug in’ to the main app, giving you added capabilities without bloating the main code. As was discovered by the developer of CoRE, there is a hard limit to how large a SmartApp can be. I have been programming for quite a while, and started when computers had very little memory, so I am used to writing efficient code. Ask Alexa has only grown slightly over the year it has been out, and I am constantly finding ways to accomplish more with less code; however that is not sustainable so the extension model will allow me to grow the capabilities of the app and not re-write it every few months, forcing you all to redo all of the hard work you already put into configuring the application for your needs. There WILL be one exception in a revision or two…I am splitting out the weather reporting function into its own extension in one or two versions from now. The functionality will stay the same (thanks @storageanarchy again for the code), but with it being an extension you will be able to do some rather fun stuff with this and all extensions after version 2.2.6+. And as always, you won’t have to reload your app from scratch to just get these new features. You will just add to what you already have and keep all of you settings.
Message Queues: Another big enhancement for Ask Alexa as we get ready for Amazon push notifications. Now external apps won’t need to write a skill themselves to go from SmartThings to Alexa output….Ask Alexa will be the ‘hub’ of the communications. While we wait for this, if you have connected speakers (or synth devices) in every room you can get a similar experience with 2.2.4. While this is a new structure, I have put pieces into place to allow for legacy operation (via the primary message queue) so you don’t lose functionality of what you might already be running with partners like Big Talker, Nest, Lock or Device Manager. All partners have been given the specs to work with the new structure, and some of them will already work when the next version of Ask Alexa is released.
Outside of the small bug fixes and optimizations that were done, this may SEEM like a small update, but it will require you to update your Lambda, intents, slots, utterances and your IDE code (basically everything). As such, while the code is done, I am going to wait another week while I really document the new additions. However, for anyone that is interested in beta testing the new version and the documentation for me (and you have external speakers/synth devices), I would greatly appreciate it. I have room for maybe a couple more people in the beta pool. If you are a developer of an app that does notification and want to be able to send messages to the Alexa device, I recommend you reach out to me.
Enjoy the weekend!