Send media attachments with Bot Framework SDK

All of the source code shown in this section is based on the Handling attachments sample.

The Attachments property of the Activity object contains an array of Attachment objects that represent the media attachments and rich cards attached to the message. To add a media attachment to a message, create an Attachment object for the reply activity and set the ContentType, ContentUrl, and Name properties.

To create the reply message, define the text and then set up the attachments. Assigning the attachments to the reply is the same for each attachment type, however the various attachments are set up and defined differently, as seen in the following snippets. The code below is setting up the reply for an inline attachment:

Bots/AttachmentsBot.cs

{
    reply = MessageFactory.Text("This is an inline attachment.");

Next, we look at the types of attachments. First is an inline attachment:

Bots/AttachmentsBot.cs

{
    var imagePath = Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, @"Resources", "architecture-resize.png");
    var imageData = Convert.ToBase64String(File.ReadAllBytes(imagePath));

    return new Attachment
    {
        Name = @"Resources\architecture-resize.png",
        ContentType = "image/png",
        ContentUrl = $"data:image/png;base64,{imageData}",
    };
}

Then, an uploaded attachment:

Bots/AttachmentsBot.cs

{
    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(serviceUrl))
    {
        throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(serviceUrl));
    }

    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(conversationId))
    {
        throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(conversationId));
    }

    var imagePath = Path.Combine(Environment.CurrentDirectory, @"Resources", "architecture-resize.png");

    var connector = turnContext.TurnState.Get<IConnectorClient>() as ConnectorClient;
    var attachments = new Attachments(connector);
    var response = await attachments.Client.Conversations.UploadAttachmentAsync(
        conversationId,
        new AttachmentData
        {
            Name = @"Resources\architecture-resize.png",
            OriginalBase64 = File.ReadAllBytes(imagePath),
            Type = "image/png",
        },
        cancellationToken);

    var attachmentUri = attachments.GetAttachmentUri(response.Id);

    return new Attachment
    {
        Name = @"Resources\architecture-resize.png",
        ContentType = "image/png",
        ContentUrl = attachmentUri,
    };
}

Lastly, an internet attachment:

Bots/AttachmentsBot.cs

    {
        // ContentUrl must be HTTPS.
        return new Attachment
        {
            Name = @"Resources\architecture-resize.png",
            ContentType = "image/png",
            ContentUrl = "https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/bot-framework/media/how-it-works/architecture-resize.png",
        };
    }
}

The following source code is from the Handling attachments sample.

To use attachments, include the following libraries in your bot:

bots/attachmentsBot.js

const { ActivityHandler, ActionTypes, ActivityTypes, CardFactory } = require('botbuilder');

To create the reply message, define the text and then set up the attachments. Assigning the attachments to the reply is the same for each attachment type, however the various attachments are set up and defined differently, as seen in the following snippets. The code below is setting up the reply for an inline attachment:

bots/attachmentsBot.js

*/
   const firstChar = turnContext.activity.text[0];
   if (firstChar === '1') {

To send the user a single piece of content like an image or a video, you can send media in a few different ways. First, as an inline attachment:

bots/attachmentsBot.js

 * Returns an inline attachment.
 */
getInlineAttachment() {
    const imageData = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '../resources/architecture-resize.png'));
    const base64Image = Buffer.from(imageData).toString('base64');

    return {
        name: 'architecture-resize.png',
        contentType: 'image/png',
        contentUrl: `data:image/png;base64,${ base64Image }`

Then, an uploaded attachment:

bots/attachmentsBot.js

 * @param {Object} turnContext
 */
async getUploadedAttachment(turnContext) {
    const imageData = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '../resources/architecture-resize.png'));
    const connectorFactory = turnContext.turnState.get(turnContext.adapter.ConnectorFactoryKey);
    const connector = await connectorFactory.create(turnContext.activity.serviceUrl);
    const conversationId = turnContext.activity.conversation.id;
    const response = await connector.conversations.uploadAttachment(conversationId, {
        name: 'architecture-resize.png',
        originalBase64: imageData,
        type: 'image/png'
    });

    // Retrieve baseUri from ConnectorClient for... something.
    const baseUri = connector.baseUri;
    const attachmentUri = baseUri + (baseUri.endsWith('/') ? '' : '/') + `v3/attachments/${ encodeURI(response.id) }/views/original`;
    return {
        name: 'architecture-resize.png',
        contentType: 'image/png',

Lastly, an internet attachment contained in a URL:

bots/attachmentsBot.js

 * Returns an attachment to be sent to the user from a HTTPS URL.
 */
getInternetAttachment() {
    // NOTE: The contentUrl must be HTTPS.
    return {
        name: 'architecture-resize.png',
        contentType: 'image/png',
        contentUrl: 'https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/bot-framework/media/how-it-works/architecture-resize.png'

The source code shown in this section is based on the Handling attachments sample.

The getAttachments() method of the Activity object contains an array of Attachment objects that represent the media attachments and rich cards attached to the message. To add a media attachment to a message, create an Attachment object for the reply activity and set the ContentType, ContentUrl, and Name properties.

To create the reply message, define the text and then set up the attachments. Assigning the attachments to the reply is the same for each attachment type, however the various attachments are set up and defined differently, as seen in the following snippets. The code below is setting up the reply for an inline attachment:

AttachmentsBot.java

result = getInlineAttachment()
    .thenApply(attachment -> {
        Activity reply = MessageFactory.text("This is an inline attachment.");
        reply.setAttachment(attachment);
        return reply;
    });

Next, we look at the types of attachments. First is an inline attachment:

AttachmentsBot.java

// Creates an inline attachment sent from the bot to the user using a base64 string.
// Using a base64 string to send an attachment will not work on all channels.
// Additionally, some channels will only allow certain file types to be sent this way.
// For example a .png file may work but a .pdf file may not on some channels.
// Please consult the channel documentation for specifics.
private CompletableFuture<Attachment> getInlineAttachment() {
    return getEncodedFileData("architecture-resize.png")
        .thenApply(encodedFileData -> {
            Attachment attachment = new Attachment();
            attachment.setName("architecture-resize.png");
            attachment.setContentType("image/png");
            attachment.setContentUrl("data:image/png;base64," + encodedFileData);
            return attachment;
        });
}

Then, an uploaded attachment:

AttachmentsBot.java

private CompletableFuture<Attachment> getUploadedAttachment(TurnContext turnContext, String serviceUrl, String conversationId) {
    if (StringUtils.isEmpty(serviceUrl)) {
        return Async.completeExceptionally(new IllegalArgumentException("serviceUrl"));
    }
    if (StringUtils.isEmpty(conversationId)) {
        return Async.completeExceptionally(new IllegalArgumentException("conversationId"));
    }

    ConnectorClient connector = turnContext.getTurnState()
        .get(BotFrameworkAdapter.CONNECTOR_CLIENT_KEY);
    Attachments attachments = connector.getAttachments();

    return getFileData("architecture-resize.png")
        .thenCompose(fileData -> {
            AttachmentData attachmentData = new AttachmentData();
            attachmentData.setName("architecture-resize.png");
            attachmentData.setType("image/png");
            attachmentData.setOriginalBase64(fileData);

            return connector.getConversations().uploadAttachment(conversationId, attachmentData)
                .thenApply(response -> {
                    String attachmentUri = attachments.getAttachmentUri(response.getId());

                    Attachment attachment = new Attachment();
                    attachment.setName("architecture-resize.png");
                    attachment.setContentType("image/png");
                    attachment.setContentUrl(attachmentUri);

                    return attachment;
                });
        });
}

Lastly, an internet attachment:

AttachmentsBot.java

// Creates an Attachment to be sent from the bot to the user from a HTTP URL.
private static Attachment getInternetAttachment() {
    // ContentUrl must be HTTPS.
    Attachment attachment = new Attachment();
    attachment.setName("architecture-resize.png");
    attachment.setContentType("image/png");
    attachment.setContentUrl("https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/bot-framework/media/how-it-works/architecture-resize.png");
    return attachment;
}

The following source code is from the Handling attachments sample.

To create the reply message, define the text and then set up the attachments. Assigning the attachments to the reply is the same for each attachment type, however the various attachments are set up and defined differently, as seen in the following snippets.

The code below is setting up the reply for an inline attachment:

bots/attachments_bot.py

reply.text = "This is an inline attachment."
reply.attachments = [self._get_inline_attachment()]

To send the user a single piece of content like an image or a video, you can send media in a few different ways. First, as an inline attachment:

bots/attachments_bot.py

def _get_inline_attachment(self) -> Attachment:
    """
    Creates an inline attachment sent from the bot to the user using a base64 string.
    Using a base64 string to send an attachment will not work on all channels.
    Additionally, some channels will only allow certain file types to be sent this way.
    For example a .png file may work but a .pdf file may not on some channels.
    Please consult the channel documentation for specifics.
    :return: Attachment
    """
    file_path = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "resources/architecture-resize.png")
    with open(file_path, "rb") as in_file:
        base64_image = base64.b64encode(in_file.read()).decode()

    return Attachment(
        name="architecture-resize.png",
        content_type="image/png",
        content_url=f"data:image/png;base64,{base64_image}",
    )

Then, an uploaded attachment:

bots/attachments_bot.py

async def _get_upload_attachment(self, turn_context: TurnContext) -> Attachment:
    """
    Creates an "Attachment" to be sent from the bot to the user from an uploaded file.
    :param turn_context:
    :return: Attachment
    """
    with open(
        os.path.join(os.getcwd(), "resources/architecture-resize.png"), "rb"
    ) as in_file:
        image_data = in_file.read()

    connector = await turn_context.adapter.create_connector_client(
        turn_context.activity.service_url
    )
    conversation_id = turn_context.activity.conversation.id
    response = await connector.conversations.upload_attachment(
        conversation_id,
        AttachmentData(
            name="architecture-resize.png",
            original_base64=image_data,
            type="image/png",
        ),
    )

    base_uri: str = connector.config.base_url
    attachment_uri = (
        base_uri
        + ("" if base_uri.endswith("/") else "/")
        + f"v3/attachments/{response.id}/views/original"
    )

    return Attachment(
        name="architecture-resize.png",
        content_type="image/png",
        content_url=attachment_uri,
    )

Lastly, an internet attachment contained in a URL:

bots/attachments_bot.py

def _get_internet_attachment(self) -> Attachment:
    """
    Creates an Attachment to be sent from the bot to the user from a HTTP URL.
    :return: Attachment
    """
    return Attachment(
        name="architecture-resize.png",
        content_type="image/png",
        content_url="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/bot-framework/media/how-it-works/architecture-resize.png",
    )

To compose a message with a hero card and button, you can attach a HeroCard object to a message.

The following source code is from the Handling attachments sample.

Bots/AttachmentsBot.cs

private static async Task DisplayOptionsAsync(ITurnContext turnContext, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
{
    // Create a HeroCard with options for the user to interact with the bot.
    var card = new HeroCard
    {
        Text = "You can upload an image or select one of the following choices",
        Buttons = new List<CardAction>
        {
            // Note that some channels require different values to be used in order to get buttons to display text.
            // In this code the emulator is accounted for with the 'title' parameter, but in other channels you may
            // need to provide a value for other parameters like 'text' or 'displayText'.
            new CardAction(ActionTypes.ImBack, title: "1. Inline Attachment", value: "1"),
            new CardAction(ActionTypes.ImBack, title: "2. Internet Attachment", value: "2"),
            new CardAction(ActionTypes.ImBack, title: "3. Uploaded Attachment", value: "3"),
        },
    };

    var reply = MessageFactory.Attachment(card.ToAttachment());
    await turnContext.SendActivityAsync(reply, cancellationToken);

To compose a message with a hero card and button, you can attach a HeroCard object to a message.

The following source code is from the Handling attachments sample.

bots/attachmentsBot.js

 * @param {Object} turnContext
 */
async displayOptions(turnContext) {
    const reply = { type: ActivityTypes.Message };

    // Note that some channels require different values to be used in order to get buttons to display text.
    // In this code the emulator is accounted for with the 'title' parameter, but in other channels you may
    // need to provide a value for other parameters like 'text' or 'displayText'.
    const buttons = [
        { type: ActionTypes.ImBack, title: '1. Inline Attachment', value: '1' },
        { type: ActionTypes.ImBack, title: '2. Internet Attachment', value: '2' },
        { type: ActionTypes.ImBack, title: '3. Uploaded Attachment', value: '3' }
    ];

    const card = CardFactory.heroCard('', undefined,
        buttons, { text: 'You can upload an image or select one of the following choices.' });

    reply.attachments = [card];

To compose a message with a hero card and button, you can attach a HeroCard object to a message.

The following source code is from the Handling attachments sample.

AttachmentsBot.java

private static CompletableFuture<Void> displayOptions(TurnContext turnContext) {
    // Create a HeroCard with options for the user to interact with the bot.
    HeroCard card = new HeroCard();
    card.setText("You can upload an image or select one of the following choices");

    // Note that some channels require different values to be used in order to get buttons to display text.
    // In this code the emulator is accounted for with the 'title' parameter, but in other channels you may
    // need to provide a value for other parameters like 'text' or 'displayText'.
    card.setButtons(
        new CardAction(ActionTypes.IM_BACK, "1. Inline Attachment", "1"),
        new CardAction(ActionTypes.IM_BACK, "2. Internet Attachment", "2"),
        new CardAction(ActionTypes.IM_BACK, "3. Uploaded Attachment", "3")
    );

    Activity reply = MessageFactory.attachment(card.toAttachment());
    return turnContext.sendActivity(reply).thenApply(resourceResponse -> null);
}    

To compose a message with a hero card and button, you can attach a HeroCard object to a message.

The following source code is from the Handling attachments sample.

bots/attachments_bot.py

async def _display_options(self, turn_context: TurnContext):
    """
    Create a HeroCard with options for the user to interact with the bot.
    :param turn_context:
    :return:
    """

    # Note that some channels require different values to be used in order to get buttons to display text.
    # In this code the emulator is accounted for with the 'title' parameter, but in other channels you may
    # need to provide a value for other parameters like 'text' or 'displayText'.
    card = HeroCard(
        text="You can upload an image or select one of the following choices",
        buttons=[
            CardAction(
                type=ActionTypes.im_back, title="1. Inline Attachment", value="1"
            ),
            CardAction(
                type=ActionTypes.im_back, title="2. Internet Attachment", value="2"
            ),
            CardAction(
                type=ActionTypes.im_back, title="3. Uploaded Attachment", value="3"
            ),
        ],
    )

For examples of all the available cards, see the Using cards sample.

Cards.cs

public static HeroCard GetHeroCard()
{
    var heroCard = new HeroCard
    {
        Title = "BotFramework Hero Card",
        Subtitle = "Microsoft Bot Framework",
        Text = "Build and connect intelligent bots to interact with your users naturally wherever they are," +
               " from text/sms to Skype, Slack, Office 365 mail and other popular services.",
        Images = new List<CardImage> { new CardImage("https://sec.ch9.ms/ch9/7ff5/e07cfef0-aa3b-40bb-9baa-7c9ef8ff7ff5/buildreactionbotframework_960.jpg") },
        Buttons = new List<CardAction> { new CardAction(ActionTypes.OpenUrl, "Get Started", value: "https://docs.microsoft.com/bot-framework") },
    };

    return heroCard;
}

Cards.cs

public static SigninCard GetSigninCard()
{
    var signinCard = new SigninCard
    {
        Text = "BotFramework Sign-in Card",
        Buttons = new List<CardAction> { new CardAction(ActionTypes.Signin, "Sign-in", value: "https://login.microsoftonline.com/") },
    };

    return signinCard;
}

For examples of all the available cards, see the Using cards sample.

dialogs/mainDialog.js

createHeroCard() {
    return CardFactory.heroCard(
        'BotFramework Hero Card',
        CardFactory.images(['https://sec.ch9.ms/ch9/7ff5/e07cfef0-aa3b-40bb-9baa-7c9ef8ff7ff5/buildreactionbotframework_960.jpg']),
        CardFactory.actions([
            {
                type: 'openUrl',
                title: 'Get started',
                value: 'https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/bot-service/'
            }
        ])
    );
}

dialogs/mainDialog.js

createOAuthCard() {
    return CardFactory.oauthCard(
        'OAuth connection', // Replace with the name of your Azure AD connection
        'Sign In',
        'BotFramework OAuth Card'
    );
}

For examples of all the available cards, see the Using cards sample.

Cards.java

public static HeroCard getHeroCard() {
    HeroCard heroCard = new HeroCard();
    heroCard.setTitle("BotFramework Hero Card");
    heroCard.setSubtitle("Microsoft Bot Framework");
    heroCard.setText("Build and connect intelligent bots to interact with your users naturally wherever they are," +
                " from text/sms to Skype, Slack, Office 365 mail and other popular services.");
    heroCard.setImages(new CardImage("https://sec.ch9.ms/ch9/7ff5/e07cfef0-aa3b-40bb-9baa-7c9ef8ff7ff5/buildreactionbotframework_960.jpg"));
    heroCard.setButtons(new CardAction(ActionTypes.OPEN_URL, "Get Started", "https://docs.microsoft.com/bot-framework"));

    return heroCard;
}

Cards.java

public static SigninCard getSigninCard() {
    SigninCard signinCard = new SigninCard();
    signinCard.setText("BotFramework Sign-in Card");
    signinCard.setButtons(new CardAction(ActionTypes.SIGNIN, "Sign-in", "https://login.microsoftonline.com/"));
    return signinCard;
}

For examples of all the available cards, see the Using cards sample.

dialogs/main_dialog.py

def create_hero_card(self) -> Attachment:
    card = HeroCard(
        title="",
        images=[
            CardImage(
                url="https://sec.ch9.ms/ch9/7ff5/e07cfef0-aa3b-40bb-9baa-7c9ef8ff7ff5/buildreactionbotframework_960.jpg"
            )
        ],
        buttons=[
            CardAction(
                type=ActionTypes.open_url,
                title="Get Started",
                value="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/bot-service/",
            )
        ],
    )
    return CardFactory.hero_card(card)

dialogs/main_dialog.py

def create_oauth_card(self) -> Attachment:
    card = OAuthCard(
        text="BotFramework OAuth Card",
        connection_name="OAuth connection", # Replace it with the name of your Azure AD connection.
        buttons=[
            CardAction(
                type=ActionTypes.signin,
                title="Sign in",
                value="https://example.org/signin",
            )
        ],
    )
    return CardFactory.oauth_card(card)

To use Adaptive Cards, be sure to add the AdaptiveCards NuGet package.

The following source code is from the Using cards sample.

Cards.cs

This example reads the Adaptive Card JSON from a file and adds it as an attachment.

public static Attachment CreateAdaptiveCardAttachment()
{
    // combine path for cross platform support
    var paths = new[] { ".", "Resources", "adaptiveCard.json" };
    var adaptiveCardJson = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(paths));

    var adaptiveCardAttachment = new Attachment()
    {
        ContentType = "application/vnd.microsoft.card.adaptive",
        Content = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(adaptiveCardJson),
    };

    return adaptiveCardAttachment;
}

To use Adaptive Cards, be sure to add the adaptivecards npm package.

The following source code is from the Using cards sample.

dialogs/mainDialog.js

This example reads the Adaptive Card JSON from a file and creates a message activity with the card attached.

const AdaptiveCard = require('../resources/adaptiveCard.json');

createAdaptiveCard() {
    return CardFactory.adaptiveCard(AdaptiveCard);
}

The following source code is from the Using cards sample.

Cards.java

This example reads the Adaptive Card JSON from a file and adds it as an attachment.

public static Attachment createAdaptiveCardAttachment() {
    Attachment adaptiveCardAttachment = new Attachment();

    try (
        InputStream inputStream = adaptiveCardAttachment.getClass().getClassLoader()
        .getResourceAsStream("adaptiveCard.json")
    ) {
        String result = IOUtils.toString(inputStream, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);

        adaptiveCardAttachment.setContentType("application/vnd.microsoft.card.adaptive");
        adaptiveCardAttachment.setContent(new ObjectMapper().readValue(result, ObjectNode.class));

        return adaptiveCardAttachment;
    } catch (Throwable t) {
        throw new CompletionException(t);
    }
}

The following source code is from the Using cards sample.

bots/main_dialog.py

This example reads the Adaptive Card JSON from a file and creates a message activity with the card attached.

from .resources.adaptive_card_example import ADAPTIVE_CARD_CONTENT

def create_adaptive_card(self) -> Attachment:
    return CardFactory.adaptive_card(ADAPTIVE_CARD_CONTENT)

The following source code is from the Using cards sample.

Dialogs/MainDialog.cs

First, create the reply and define the attachments as a list.

// Cards are sent as Attachments in the Bot Framework.
// So we need to create a list of attachments for the reply activity.
var attachments = new List<Attachment>();

// Reply to the activity we received with an activity.
var reply = MessageFactory.Attachment(attachments);

Then add the attachments and set the layout type to carousel. Here we're adding them one at a time, but feel free to manipulate the list to add the cards however you prefer.

// Display a carousel of all the rich card types.
reply.AttachmentLayout = AttachmentLayoutTypes.Carousel;
reply.Attachments.Add(Cards.CreateAdaptiveCardAttachment());
reply.Attachments.Add(Cards.GetAnimationCard().ToAttachment());
reply.Attachments.Add(Cards.GetAudioCard().ToAttachment());
reply.Attachments.Add(Cards.GetHeroCard().ToAttachment());
reply.Attachments.Add(Cards.GetOAuthCard().ToAttachment());
reply.Attachments.Add(Cards.GetReceiptCard().ToAttachment());
reply.Attachments.Add(Cards.GetSigninCard().ToAttachment());
reply.Attachments.Add(Cards.GetThumbnailCard().ToAttachment());
reply.Attachments.Add(Cards.GetVideoCard().ToAttachment());

Once the attachments are added, you can send the reply just like any other.

// Send the card(s) to the user as an attachment to the activity
await stepContext.Context.SendActivityAsync(reply, cancellationToken);

The following source code is from the Using cards sample.

dialogs/mainDialog.js

Add the attachments and set the layout type to carousel. Once the attachments are added, you can send the reply just like any other.

await stepContext.context.sendActivity({
    attachments: [
        this.createAdaptiveCard(),
        this.createAnimationCard(),
        this.createAudioCard(),
        this.createHeroCard(),
        this.createOAuthCard(),
        this.createReceiptCard(),
        this.createSignInCard(),
        this.createThumbnailCard(),
        this.createVideoCard()
    ],
    attachmentLayout: AttachmentLayoutTypes.Carousel
});

The following source code is from the Using cards sample.

MainDialog.java

First, create the reply and define the attachments as a list.

// Cards are sent as Attachments in the Bot Framework.
// So we need to create a list of attachments for the reply activity.
List<Attachment> attachments = new ArrayList<>();

// Reply to the activity we received with an activity.
Activity reply = MessageFactory.attachment(attachments);

Then add the attachments and set the layout type to carousel. Here we're adding them one at a time, but feel free to manipulate the list to add the cards however you prefer.

// Display a carousel of all the rich card types.
reply.setAttachmentLayout(AttachmentLayoutTypes.CAROUSEL);
reply.getAttachments().add(Cards.createAdaptiveCardAttachment());
reply.getAttachments().add(Cards.getAnimationCard().toAttachment());
reply.getAttachments().add(Cards.getAudioCard().toAttachment());
reply.getAttachments().add(Cards.getHeroCard().toAttachment());
reply.getAttachments().add(Cards.getOAuthCard().toAttachment());
reply.getAttachments().add(Cards.getReceiptCard().toAttachment());
reply.getAttachments().add(Cards.getSigninCard().toAttachment());
reply.getAttachments().add(Cards.getThumbnailCard().toAttachment());
reply.getAttachments().add(Cards.getVideoCard().toAttachment());

Once the attachments are added, you can send the reply just like any other.

// Send the card(s) to the user as an attachment to the activity
return stepContext.getContext().sendActivity(reply)

The source code shown here is based on Using cards sample.

dialogs/main_dialog.py

First, create the reply and define the attachments as a list.

reply = MessageFactory.list([])

Then add the attachments and set the layout type to carousel. Here we're adding them one at a time, but feel free to manipulate the list to add the cards however you prefer.

reply.attachment_layout = AttachmentLayoutTypes.carousel
reply.attachments.append(self.create_adaptive_card())
reply.attachments.append(self.create_animation_card())
reply.attachments.append(self.create_audio_card())
reply.attachments.append(self.create_hero_card())
reply.attachments.append(self.create_oauth_card())
reply.attachments.append(self.create_receipt_card())
reply.attachments.append(self.create_signin_card())
reply.attachments.append(self.create_thumbnail_card())
reply.attachments.append(self.create_video_card())

Once the attachments are added, you can send the reply just like any other.

# Send the card(s) to the user as an attachment to the activity
await step_context.context.send_activity(reply)

Our validator uses Newtonsoft.json to first convert this to a JObject, and then create a trimmed text string for comparison. So add:

using System;
using System.Linq;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;

to MainDialog.cs and install the latest stable NuGet package of Newtonsoft.Json. In the validator code, we added the logic flow into the code comments. This ChoiceValidator method is placed into the Using cards sample just after the closed brace public for declaration of MainDialog:

private async Task ChoiceValidator(
    PromptValidatorContext promptContext,
    CancellationToken cancellationToken)
{
    // Retrieves Adaptive Card comment text as JObject.
    // looks for JObject field "text" and converts that input into a trimmed text string.
    var jobject = promptContext.Context.Activity.Value as JObject;
    var jtoken = jobject?["text"];
    var text = jtoken?.Value().Trim();

    // Logic: 1. if succeeded = true, just return promptContext
    //        2. if false, see if JObject contained Adaptive Card input.
    //               No = (bad input) return promptContext
    //               Yes = update Value field with JObject text string, return "true".
    if (!promptContext.Recognized.Succeeded && text != null)
    {
        var choice = promptContext.Options.Choices.FirstOrDefault(
        c => c.Value.Equals(text, StringComparison.InvariantCultureIgnoreCase));
        if (choice != null)
        {
            promptContext.Recognized.Value = new FoundChoice
            {
                Value = choice.Value,
            };
            return true;
        }
    }
    return promptContext.Recognized.Succeeded;
}

Now above in the MainDialog declaration change:

// Define the main dialog and its related components.
AddDialog(new ChoicePrompt(nameof(ChoicePrompt)));

to:

// Define the main dialog and its related components.
AddDialog(new ChoicePrompt(nameof(ChoicePrompt), ChoiceValidator));

This will invoke your validator to look for Adaptive Card input each time a new choice prompt is created.

Open mainDialog.js and find the run method async run(turnContext, accessor) This method handles incoming activity. Just after the call dialogSet.add(this); add the following:

// The following check looks for a non-existent text input
// plus Adaptive Card input in _activity.value.text
// If both conditions exist, the Activity Card text
// is copied into the text input field.
if(turnContext._activity.text == null
    && turnContext._activity.value.text != null) {
    this.logger.log('replacing null text with Activity Card text input');
    turnContext._activity.text = turnContext._activity.value.text;
  }

If this check finds a non-existent text input from the client, it looks to see if there's input from an Adaptive Card. If an Adaptive Card input exists at _activity.value.text, it copies this into the normal text input field.

Our validator uses the Serialization helper from com.microsoft.bot.schema to first convert this to a JsonNode, and then create a trimmed text string for comparison. We'll also need a few other imports to complete this, so add:

import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
import com.microsoft.bot.dialogs.prompts.PromptValidator;
import com.microsoft.bot.schema.Serialization;
import java.util.Optional;
import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;

to MainDialog.java. In the validator code, we added the logic flow into the code comments. This PromptValidator expression is placed into the Using cards sample just after the closed brace public for declaration of MainDialog:

PromptValidator<FoundChoice> validator = (promptContext) -> {
    // Retrieves Adaptive Card comment text as JObject.
    // looks for JObject field "text" and converts that input into a trimmed text
    // string.
    JsonNode jsonNode = Serialization.getAs(promptContext.getContext().getActivity().getValue(), JsonNode.class);
    JsonNode textNode = jsonNode != null ? jsonNode.get("text") : null;
    String text = textNode != null ? textNode.textValue() : "";

    // Logic: 1. if succeeded = true, just return promptContext
    // 2. if false, see if JObject contained Adaptive Card input.
    // No = (bad input) return promptContext
    // Yes = update Value field with JObject text string, return "true".
    if (!promptContext.getRecognized().getSucceeded() && text != null) {
        Optional<Choice> choice = promptContext.getOptions()
            .getChoices()
            .stream()
            .filter(c -> StringUtils.compareIgnoreCase(c.getValue(), text) == 0)
            .findFirst();

        if (choice.isPresent()) {
            promptContext.getRecognized().setValue(new FoundChoice() {
                {
                    setValue(choice.get().getValue());
                }
            });
            return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(true);
        }
    }
    return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(promptContext.getRecognized().getSucceeded());
};

Now above in the MainDialog declaration change:

// Define the main dialog and its related components.
addDialog(new ChoicePrompt("ChoicePrompt"));

to:

// Define the main dialog and its related components.
addDialog(new ChoicePrompt("ChoicePrompt", validator, null));

This will invoke your validator to look for Adaptive Card input each time a new choice prompt is created.

Create and send an activity with suggested actions to the user.

This choice_validator method is placed into the Using cards sample just after the closed brace public for declaration of MainDialog:

@staticmethod
async def choice_validator(prompt_context: PromptValidatorContext) -> bool:
    if prompt_context.context.activity.value:
        text = prompt_context.context.activity.value["text"].lower()
        if not prompt_context.recognized.succeeded and text:
            matching_choices = [choice for choice in prompt_context.options.choices if choice.value.lower() == text]
            if matching_choices:
                choice = matching_choices[0]
                prompt_context.recognized.value = FoundChoice(
                    value=choice.value,
                    index=0,
                    score=1.0
                )
                return True

    return prompt_context.recognized.succeeded

Now above in the MainDialog declaration change:

self.add_dialog(ChoicePrompt(CARD_PROMPT))

to:

self.add_dialog(ChoicePrompt(CARD_PROMPT, MainDialog.choice_validator))

This will invoke your validator to look for Adaptive Card input each time a new choice prompt is created.