Existing chat applications usually offer APIs to extend the default UI. This document details features provided by a selection of those.
Pretty much nothing.
Basic chatbot based on webhooks and HTTP calls.
Notable features:
- custom keyboard
- basic JS API for web integration
Fairly limited.
2 types of extensions:
- stickers pack
- app extensions
App extensions build on a complexe native API. Pretty close to creating a full iOS app.
Bots are special account with no phone number attached. Message based, they interract via MProto protocol.
Notable features:
- customize chat details
- customize keyboard
- inline buttons
- access to payments API
- HTML5 based games
- interact with media via inline
Limitations:
- communication funneled via Telegram intermediary servers
- almost purely text based
- centralized
- hosted on server
Build your own customized Telegram client. Facilitated by TDLib library (powers Telegram X). Encaspulte low level Telegram protocol and message persistency. Still very low level.
Chatbots are JS programms that can send replies. Those replies can encapsulate UI by leveraging SOFA model. Those UI elements will show up inline in the chat and might trigger messages to be sent back (based on user interaction).
Other notable features:
- UI elements can link back to webviews
- bots have lifecycle (init, on message, on command, on payment request)
- session can persist data accross restarts
- access to web3.js
Limitations:
- purely chat message based
- require bot registration
- limited to features exposed by SOFA
- app has an associated wallet (requiring full address creation)
- must be hosted implementer platform (Java based, redis, PostgreSQL)
- centralised (session backed in implementer db)
- rely on toshi web services (again centralized)
- complex dev model (docker based)
Messenger platform allows to build messenger based chat bots. It relies on web services and webhooks.
Notable features:
- a number of entry points: web page, discover tab, search, sharing, codes, ..
- API access via facebook web services
- quick replies offer inline UI elements (part of [conversation components](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/messenger-platform/introduction/conversation-comchqt extensions](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/messenger-platform/guides/chat-extensions) based on bots
- discovery story
- payment API
Limitations:
- complex submission process
The elephant in the room.
Extensions are a corner stone of WeChat. Therefore WeChat offers various extensions technologies : Official Accounts, native mobel SDK , web integration with JSSDK, mini programs. They also provide interresting use cases. Payment support is ubiquitous.
WeChat founder shares interesting insights about the motivation behind Mini Programs.
Mini Programs are full website built using custom languages (wxml, wxss). They are closely related to websites but incompatible. Comprehensive [design guide])(http://open.wechat.com/cgi-bin/newreadtemplate?t=overseas_open/docs/mini-programs/design#designing-mini-programs) and documentation are available.
Min programs are complete programs displayed as a new screen that are launched after scanning a QR code. They are essentially centralized DApps.
Limitations:
- complex registration / verification process
- updates must be validated
Official Accounts allow institution to have a presence in WeChat. They are akin to Facebook pages in a chat world. A user can chat with the institution representative, register to push notifications and access links/details. Those pages can grow in complexity and be similar to Mini Programs (technically plain web site with access to JSSDK).
Some Official Accounts type can be listed as regular account.
Limitations:
- very complex to create one
- farly limited capacities
References: