Start another story automatically based on last utterance

Rasa Open Source
1

I have a story in which an utterance action is the last step. I want to know if there is a way to automatically start another story(without asking for an intent) after that utterance action is performed by the bot.

I know I can put the steps inside a single story but there is a complicated reason why I’m not doing that.

My Use Case Example

In the below stories, story 1 is completed when utter_something is performed. So after that utterance, I want to automatically start the story 2 which contains a feedback form.

stories:
  - story: story 1
    steps:
    - intent: ask_something
    - action: utter_something
  - story: story 2
    steps:
    - action: feedback_form
    - active_loop: feedback_form
    - active_loop: null

Thanks in advance

2

Hello and welcome to the forum!

You can have rule (or story) for that:

stories:
- story: links story 1 to story 2
  steps:
  - action: utter_end_of_first
  - action: action_start_of_second

For your particular case (forms), I don’t know if it would work. Because the following may predict action: action_listen after action: feedback_form, while you want to execute active_loop: feedback_form:

stories:
- story: links story 1 to story 2
  steps:
  - action: utter_something
  - action: feedback_form

Do try it out though and come back with the results :slight_smile:

3

I have 2 questions:

  1. Do I need to create a 3rd story that links the other 2 ?
  2. If Yes to the 1st question then is it necessary to name the third story like - “links story_a to story_b” ?
4

Yes. Stories are rules are made for linking stuff between each other.

No, you can give whatever name you want to stories and rules (as long as it obeys YAML syntax).

5

I tried your method with simple stories but it doesn’t seem to be working. Check stories below.

stories:

- story: happy path
  steps:
  - intent: greet
  - action: utter_greet
  - intent: mood_great
  - action: utter_happy

- story: story2
  steps:
  - action: utter_linking_works

- story: linker_story
  steps:
  - action: utter_happy
  - action: utter_linking_works

happy path is concluded with utter_happy, after which story2 doesn’t start i.e. utter_linking_works doesn’t occur. And yes utter_linking_works is present in domain file.

Am I doing something wrong here?

6

Story 2 is made up of one action, which is wrong.

A story is a sequence of steps.

The best (and intended) way to do what you want to do is do it all in one story. Isn’t it simpler?

- story: happy path
  steps:
  - intent: greet
  - action: utter_greet
  - intent: mood_great
  - action: utter_happy
  - action: utter_linking_works
7

Hi Peter @bofo and welcome to the forum :bouquet: I guess you can use Checkpoints : Stories for connecting the stories.

Checkpoints: They’re just intermediate points to connect two stories together. You don’t “define” them anywhere, you just put a checkpoint of any name you make at the end of one story, and then the same one at the start of the other story you want to connect.

8

I have a lot of story1s just with slightly different content, and every one of the story1s have the same utterance as the last step. I can’t add the same form for each story1. That’s why I want to do the form in a separate story which runs automatically when the utterance from any of the story1s is performed. I hope you understand this situation.

I used only one action as an example in the previous reply.

Can you direct me to an example rasa project to understand this story linking behaviour?

9

Checkpoints are nice but I have a lot of story1s with slightly different content, and every one of the story1s have the same utterance as the last step. I would have to add a checkpoint to each and every story1 to connect them to story2.

I would prefer a way to start story2 without changing anything in the story1s.

10

@bofo Then your use case is very complex, if your user want to divert your use case or ask the different question ? then any plan how to deal with that? you can’t fixed the stories like A->B->C->D and so on…any comment?

11

I understand that this use case is complex. But let’s assume that user won’t divert the use case. Is it possible to do then?

BTW, do you understand the solution that @ChrisRahme suggested in the beginning? It seems perfect for my use case, but I can’t seem to get it to work.

12

@bofo yes, anything can possible if we assume (but the reality is different), yes, you can follow the Chris suggestion and proceed (just try once) ; I personally not implemented this usecase; my use case is different.

13

I’ve tried @ChrisRahme method, but it doesn’t seem to work. I’ve provided the stories in the above post.

I can properly understand it if there was a working project which was using this method.

14

@bofo your story are interdependent or just like a story 1 then story 2 and so on?

15

They are not interdependent. story1 will run and end, and then story2 should start automatically.

16

If that’s the case, you should use Checkpoints and OR statements

17

Ok, I understand. But what about the method you suggested? Its not working anyway I try. So, can you please provide an example project that uses that method. The example doesn’t have to be like my use case. I just want to see your suggested method actually running.

18

@bofo Is your issue is solved whilst using checkpoints as suggested?

19

No. I wanted to automatically start a 2nd story whenever a certain utterance is performed at the end of the 1st story. But, If I have a lot of stories with that utterance as the last step, then I have to put the checkpoints in every 1st story.

I was looking for an automatic method without adding anything in the 1st stories. The method suggested by @ChrisRahme seemed perfect for my use case, but it’s not working, as I mentioned in my previous posts.