Rules cannot be executed in form, unable to handle unhappy path in form

[Liangda-w]

Hello Rasa community,

Unfortunately in my case the rules to handle unhappy path cannot be identified during form, the form ignored it and continued to ask for the next requested_slot. Outside the form it works well.

For example I have a rule to show current request and I’ve also add stories which include this situation

- rule: Show current requirements
  steps:
  - intent: show_current_reqs
  - action: action_show_current_reqs

- rule: Show current requirements in form
  condition:
    - active_loop: couch_requirements_form
  steps:
  - intent: show_current_reqs
  - action: action_show_current_reqs
  - action: couch_requirements_form
  - active_loop: couch_requirements_form

But after the intent show_current_reqs, the rule policy still predict to continue the form with confidence 1.0, even though memorization policy predicted action_show_current_reqs correctly

2021-03-31 17:56:31 DEBUG    rasa.core.policies.memoization  - There is a memorised next action 'action_show_current_reqs'
2021-03-31 17:56:31 DEBUG    rasa.core.policies.rule_policy  - Predicted loop 'couch_requirements_form'.
2021-03-31 17:56:31 DEBUG    rasa.core.policies.ensemble  - Predicted next action using policy_2_RulePolicy.
2021-03-31 17:56:31 DEBUG    rasa.core.processor  - Predicted next action 'couch_requirements_form' with confidence 1.00.

I’m not sure what I did wrong here with rules, could you please help me with this issue? Thank you!

Rasa Version : 2.1.1

[Johan1us (Johan)]

Hi @Liangda-w,

I would not use rules for handling paths. Not with happy and not with unhappy paths. I would use stories.

I think the rule of thumb is to use rules if something has to happen 100% of the time. If there are exceptions or in all other cases use stories.

I always try to be reserved with using rules.

If you use custom actions, then you can write in your code that if the intent show_current_reqs is given, then you do action_show_current_reqs.

You can read more about it here:

Stories

Rules

I hope this helps.

[Liangda-w]

Hi @Johan1us,

thank you so much for your reply and advice!

Indeed I have a custom action for action_show_current_reqs and I’ve tried to implement the logic in the run method of ValidateXXXForm class, so that the expected responses are dispatched.

However I noticed that when I use a FollowupAction, the form will be deactivated and user need to reactivate the form again. So I’m wondering if I did it in the right way? Is there anyway to prevent this?

class ValidateCouchRequirementsForm(FormValidationAction):

    def name(self) -> Text:
        return "validate_couch_requirements_form"

    async def run(
        self,
        dispatcher: "CollectingDispatcher",
        tracker: "Tracker",
        domain: "DomainDict",
    ) -> List[EventType]:

        # handle unhappy path in form
        if tracker.get_intent_of_latest_message() == "conv_chitchat":
            dispatcher.utter_message(template="utter_chitchat")
        elif tracker.get_intent_of_latest_message() == "conv_insult":
            dispatcher.utter_message(template="utter_unhappy")
        elif tracker.get_intent_of_latest_message() == "conv_whats_possible":
            dispatcher.utter_message(template="utter_whats_possible")
        elif tracker.get_intent_of_latest_message() == "show_current_reqs":
            return [FollowupAction("action_show_current_reqs")]
        elif tracker.get_intent_of_latest_message() == "conv_abort_conversation":
            dispatcher.utter_message(template="utter_ask_stop")
            return [FollowupAction("action_listen")]
        elif tracker.get_intent_of_latest_message() == "conv_restart":
            dispatcher.utter_message(template="utter_ask_restart")
            return [FollowupAction("action_listen")]
        elif tracker.get_intent_of_latest_message() == "null_fallback":
            dispatcher.utter_message(template="utter_ask_rephrase")

        extraction_events = await self.extract_custom_slots(dispatcher, tracker, domain)
        tracker.add_slots(extraction_events)

        validation_events = await self.validate(dispatcher, tracker, domain)
        tracker.add_slots(validation_events)

        next_slot = await self.next_requested_slot(dispatcher, tracker, domain)
        if next_slot:
            validation_events.append(next_slot)

        # Validation events include events for extracted slots
        return validation_events

Beside this, other unhappy path like handling chitchat in form (which happen 100% of the time) is also not working in my case. (If I don’t implement it in the run method like above) I have exact the same code like in the rasa doc (Writing Stories / Rules for Unhappy Form Paths), but the rule is ignored and the form ask further for the requested slot.

- rule: Answer chitchat in form
  condition:
  - active_loop: couch_requirements_form
  steps:
  - intent: conv_chitchat
  - action: utter_chitchat
  - action: couch_requirements_form
  - active_loop: couch_requirements_form

Part of the event log:

[state 6] user intent: request_search | previous action name: couch_requirements_form | active loop: {'name': 'couch_requirements_form'} | slots: {'requested_slot'
: (1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0)}
[state 7] user text: wie geht es dir? | previous action name: action_listen | active loop: {'name': 'couch_requirements_form'} | slots: {'requested_slot': (1.0, 0.
0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0)}
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.policies.rule_policy  - There is no applicable rule.
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.policies.rule_policy  - Predicted loop 'couch_requirements_form'.
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.policies.ensemble  - Made prediction using user intent.
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.policies.ensemble  - Added `DefinePrevUserUtteredFeaturization(False)` event.
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.policies.ensemble  - Predicted next action using policy_2_RulePolicy.
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.processor  - Predicted next action 'couch_requirements_form' with confidence 1.00.
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.actions.forms  - Validating user input 'UserUttered(text: wie geht es dir?, intent: conv_chitchat, use_text_for_featurizatio
n: False)'.
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.actions.forms  - Trying to extract requested slot 'req_size_num_persons' ...
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.actions.forms  - Got mapping '{'type': 'from_entity', 'entity': 'req_size_num_persons', 'intent': [], 'not_intent': [], 'rol
e': None, 'group': None}'
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.actions.forms  - Failed to extract requested slot 'req_size_num_persons'
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.actions.forms  - Validating extracted slots: {}
2021-04-07 19:47:55 DEBUG    rasa.core.actions.action  - Calling action endpoint to run action 'validate_couch_requirements_form'.
2021-04-07 19:47:57 DEBUG    rasa.core.actions.forms  - Request next slot 'req_size_num_persons'
2021-04-07 19:47:57 DEBUG    rasa.core.actions.action  - Calling action endpoint to run action 'action_ask_req_size_num_persons'.

Do you have any idea why this happened? I would be really appreciate if you could help me with the issue:) Thank you!

PS: I’ve update rasa to 2.4.3, this issue still exsits. Also I’m using the default policies by Rasa.

[Liangda-w]

This problem was solved!

I found out the mistake that I did return{"slot": None} in extract_req_xxx method, which should be simply changed to return{}