Skip to content

VK SDK Kotlin

cover

Create a chat-bot for VK.com in a few lines of code, use the API and forget about the limitations

https://vk.com/vk_sdk

Build Documentation Kotlin 1.5.30 API version GitHub license

Unofficial VK.com SDK, written in Kotlin. Based on Kotlin Multiplatform project, but has Java-friendly API.

See the documentation: https://vksdk.github.io/vk-sdk-kotlin

Latest version: maven-central

For Kotlin 1.3.72 use version 0.0.5 and below.

Minimal example of the echo-chatbot

Kotlin

// From here: https://vk.com/club151083290 take the ID
val groupId = 151083290

// Read more: https://vk.com/dev/access_token
val accessToken = "abcdef123456..."

// There are two http clients available for now: 
// JVM-only OkHttp-based
// and common ktor-based
val vkHttpClient = VkOkHttpClient()

val client = VkApiClient(groupId, accessToken, VkApiClient.Type.Community, VkSettings(vkHttpClient))

client.onMessage { messageEvent ->
    client.sendMessage {
        peerId = messageEvent.message.peerId
        message = "Hello, World!"

        // You can use stickers, replies, location, etc.
        // All of the message parameters are supported.
    }.execute()
}

client.startLongPolling()

Java

int groupId = 151083290;
String accessToken = "abcdef123456...";
HttpClient vkHttpClient = new VkOkHttpClient();

VkApiClient client = new VkApiClient(groupId, accessToken, VkApiClient.Type.Community, new VkSettings(vkHttpClient));

client.onMessage(event -> {
    new Message()
        .peerId(event.getMessage().getPeerId())
        .text("Hello, world!")
        .sendFrom(client)
        .execute();
});

client.startLongPolling();

Features

The primary goal of the library is to cover most of the possible needs but in an abstract way. You can't find here a hundred of pre-defined data classes for each API method, but you can write the highly customizable solution in most convenient way.

  • Supported platforms: JVM (+ Android), JS, darwin (iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS), mingwX64 (Windows), linuxX64
  • Big and detailed examples: Multiplatform project (iOS & Android), Kotlin project, Java-only project. See the examples directory and the documentation.
  • Written in Kotlin, but has JVM-friendly API with methods overloading, static methods, etc.
  • Modularized and highly customizable: use pre-defined HTTP-clients or write your own; combine API calls, make queues or calls lists, etc.
  • Use the client created from the code or from access_token.
  • Bots Long Poll API
    • Event is a data class MessageNew for message_new event
    • and the JsonElement for all the other events
  • Batch requests queue using execute method under the hood: make up to 75+ requests per second and don't think about the VK API limitations
    • Putting into batch requests queue is optional, but done by default for asynchronous requests
    • Synchronous calls always sent immediately
  • API calls:
  • messages.send: use DSL for sending messages and building keyboards. All method capabilities are covered.
    • Attach files in a couple of lines of code, using a file from disk, URL, etc.

Install

Library is uploaded to the Maven Central Repository.

For Gradle 6.0+ or with metadata enabled, add the dependencies in this way: 

// core module is required
implementation "com.petersamokhin.vksdk:core:$vkSdkVersion"

// One of the HTTP clients is also required.
// You can use pre-defined OkHttp-based client, but only for JVM.
implementation "com.petersamokhin.vksdk:http-client-jvm-okhttp:$vkSdkVersion"

// Or else you can use the common HTTP client, which is based on ktor 
// and available for all of the platforms, including JVM.
// In this case, you also must specify the ktor engine.
implementation "com.petersamokhin.vksdk:http-client-common-ktor:$vkSdkVersion"

Otherwise, add enableFeaturePreview("GRADLE_METADATA") to settings.gradle or else you should specify the platform. Example for JVM: 

implementation "com.petersamokhin.vksdk:core-jvm:$vkSdkVersion"
implementation "com.petersamokhin.vksdk:http-client-common-ktor-jvm:$vkSdkVersion"

// and OkHttp-based client is already JVM-only
implementation "com.petersamokhin.vksdk:http-client-jvm-okhttp:$vkSdkVersion"

Limitations

Unsupported platforms

Unsupported functionality

3rd party

License

See the License