eStore ChatBot Finder

Description

This project integrates a conversational AI assistant to help users search and find products in an eStore. The chatbot leverages SignalR for real-time communication and an OpenAI language model for understanding and processing user queries. It aims to research how AI can help automate and improve different business processes.

Features

• Real-time chat functionality using SignalR
• Product search and filtering based on user queries
• Provides descriptions for products or materials
• User-friendly interface with a floating chat window
• SQLite3 database with test information for development purposes

Requirements

• .NET 8.0.301 SDK
• ASP.NET Core MVC
• SignalR
• OpenAI API key

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Jcarchboldd/eStoreChatBotFinder.git

2. Set up the environment variables: Modify the appsettings.json and appsettings.Development.json files, or set up environment variables as follows:

   {
     "ConnectionStrings": {
       "DefaultConnection": "YOUR_SQLITE_CONNECTION_STRING_HERE",
       "AzureSqlConnection": "YOUR_AZURE_SQL_CONNECTION_STRING_HERE"
     }
   }

   {
     "LanguageService": {
       "Key": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",
       "Endpoint": "YOUR_ENDPOINT_HERE"
     }
   }

3. Restore NuGet packages:

   dotnet restore

4. Run the application:

   dotnet run

Usage

1. Open your browser and navigate to: http://localhost:5000
2. Click on the chat icon to open the chatbot.
3. Interact with the chatbot by asking questions about products or materials. The chatbot will provide descriptions and search the store's inventory based on your queries.

Switching Database Connections

By default, the application uses an Azure SQL database. To switch to using an SQLite3 database, update the Program.cs file:

1. Comment out the Azure SQL connection code:

   builder.Services.AddDbContext<StoreDbContext>(options =>
       options.UseSqlServer(builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("AzureSqlConnection"), sqlOptions => sqlOptions.EnableRetryOnFailure()));

2. Uncomment and configure the SQLite connection:

   // var defaultConnection = builder.Configuration.GetConnectionString("DefaultConnection");
   // if (defaultConnection != null)
   // {
   //     builder.Services.AddDbContext<StoreDbContext>(options =>
   //         options.UseSqlite(defaultConnection));
   // }