Learning to Build Alexa Skills

Course details

Alexa is one of the most popular virtual assistants. Using simple voice commands, you can ask Alexa to find and read news, play music, order pizza, or control other smart home devices, from your lighting to your door locks. Alexa also offers a tremendous opportunity for developers with basic programming experience to build their own Alexa functionality, called skills. In this course, instructor Lee Assam shows how to build custom voice commands for Alexa devices using the Alexa Skills Kit and Node.js. Explore the Alexa ecosystem and the components that make up a custom Alexa skill. Learn how to configure your skill in the Amazon Developer Portal and create, code, and deploy it using Node.js, Lambda functions, and Amazon Web Services. Plus, discover how to test your skill in the browser and on an actual Alexa device, and submit a skill for certification so you can share it with other Alexa users.

Learning objectives
Reviewing Alexa basics
Setting up your accounts and environment
Identifying Alexa skills
Building a custom Alexa skill
Configuring skill functionality
Testing skills
Expanding skills
Submitting a custom Alexa skill for certification

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Building Alexa Skills
02 - What you should know

1. Alexa Basics

03 - What is Alexa
04 - Why is Alexa important

2. Setup

05 - Create your Amazon account
06 - Installing Node.js and the IDE

3. Understanding Custom Skills

07 - Understanding the different Alexa skill models
08 - Components of a custom Alexa skill

4. Building a Custom Skill

09 - Description of the calculator skill
10 - Deconstructing the skill

5. Configuring the Skill

11 - Create the Alexa skill in the Developer Console
12 - Creating the addition functionality
13 - Creating the subtraction functionality
14 - Using the JSON Editor

6. Building the Handler Skill

15 - Set up the project
16 - Review LaunchRequestHandler
17 - Review additional standard handlers
18 - Code the add handler
19 - Create the subtract handler
20 - Create a Lambda function for the skill

7. Testing the Skill

21 - Test in the Alexa Developer Console
22 - Test on Echosim.io
23 - Test on an Echo device

8. Expanding the Skill

24 - Challenge - Multiplication and division
25 - Solution - Multiplication and division
26 - Challenge - Complete skill handler
27 - Solution - Complete skill handler
28 - Testing multiplication and division

9. Submitting for Certification

29 - Checklist for certification

Conclusion

30 - Next steps