Alexa Skill Development
Alexa skill development for Amazon Echos and other Alexa-enabled devices is becoming a hot topic among businesses. There is a gap between competent developers and demand for Alexa Skills as a result of the rapid surge in use of Amazon Alexa.
Amazon is attempting to fill this hole by showcasing organizations who specialize in Alexa skill development as well as Alexa development framework alternatives to make it easier to create skills.
This article was written to look into a few Alexa development framework alternatives that anyone interested in creating an Alexa skill should look into.
SDK for Alexa Skills Kit
The Alexa Skills Kit SDK (Software Development Kit) for Node.js is the key tool that Amazon is attempting to persuade developers to utilize. You can use JavaScript with this kit to make your Alexa Skill function with AWS Lambda. This kit will assist you in creating responses based on Alexa’s queries.
The Alexa Skills Kit SDK was built by Amazon with the intention of allowing individuals to build Skills entirely in AWS. Other AWS services can be used in conjunction with your Skill, and this kit will make that procedure much easier than building it from fresh. This looks to be Amazon’s preferred method of getting started, or at least the toolset that Amazon promotes the most.
It can be challenging to design and test Alexa Skills using the Alexa Skills Kit SDK on its own. There isn’t a suitable testing tool, so you’ll need to create a Lambda function for your Skill and attach it to a development Alexa Skill before you can start testing. You’ll have to update the Lambda function and retry the Skill using your voice and the Amazon Echo every time you make a change to the code. This may not seem like a big deal when you consider that you’re working on a talent that will use a real voice, but the time it takes to update for a minor code change can be pretty annoying.
Alexa-App
The Alexa App framework is another option. This framework is not linked with Amazon, but it is gaining traction and presently has a large number of contributors. It’s also have the Alexa-app-server testing tool, which allows you to test your Alexa skills in a web browser and receive immediate feedback. This can significantly accelerate the creation of your Alexa Skill.
The most popular Alexa programming frameworks are the Alexa Skills Kit SDK and Alexa-App, which, in my opinion, should be the starting point for developers new to Amazon Alexa development. The following possibilities are listed on Amazon’s Agencies and Frameworks website, but you’ll need to do some preliminary investigation to see if they’ll work for you.
Customized Tools
Bespoken Tools has only recently begun to promote its Alexa Skill building tools. Their tools are command line/terminal based, and they allow developers to write code in many programming languages (Java, Python, or JavaScript), when most other frameworks only allow one (typically JavaScript). They also offer a development environment as well as deployment software. This appears to be a decent foundation for developing Alexa Skills, but given how new it is, it’s certainly worth giving it a try before committing your project entirely to their tool set.
Bespoken Tools has only recently begun to promote its Alexa Skill building tools. Their tools are command line/terminal based, and they allow developers to write code in many programming languages (Java, Python, or JavaScript), when most other frameworks only allow one (typically JavaScript). They also offer a development environment as well as deployment software. This appears to be a decent foundation for developing Alexa Skills, but given how new it is, it’s certainly worth giving it a try before committing your project entirely to their tool set.
PullString
PullString is another Alexa Development Framework with a more comprehensive tool set. This appears to be ideal for developers who wish to create a conversational software that works across several platforms.
Pullstring can assist with the development of apps for Messenger, Skype, Slack, Alexa, and other platforms. PullString is definitely worth looking out if you want to make your skill or conversational application function across several platforms.
Conversable
Conversable is listed on Amazon’s Agencies and Frameworks website as a framework for developing Alexa Skills, although it doesn’t appear to be as open as some of the other Alexa development frameworks.
They have a nice website, but it’s difficult to evaluate how effective their products are because they don’t appear to have open documentation. This is another option worth investigating if you’re developing a cross-platform project, but you’ll probably need to speak with their sales team before diving deeper into their framework and tools.
What Factors Should You Consider When Selecting An Alexa Development Framework?
With Alexa Skills becoming more popular and developer demand increasing, it’s worth devoting some time to selecting a tool set before embarking on a new project. There are a variety of choices available depending on your demands and development experience.
With the popularity of Google Home and other conversational app platforms, you might be tempted to try one of the cross-platform solutions. This may suit your needs, but you should consider whether you want to be bound by a framework, especially given how new and quickly Alexa development is in general.
For consumers who are brand new to Alexa Skill development, my advice is to start with either the simple Alexa Skills Kit SDK or the Alexa-App framework, and if your demands grow beyond what those tools can provide, update your tool set as needed. If you’re a seasoned Alexa Skill developer looking to create more complex applications that might benefit from being cross-platform, it might be worth your time to look into the other frameworks.
How Can We Help?
We’d be pleased to assist you if you have a concept for an Alexa skill but don’t want to build it yourself. Not only do our developers have Amazon Alexa skill development experience, but they also have mobile app development knowledge. Please click on the below button if you’d like to discuss your alternatives or simply just scope your initial concept.
