Break out of the app store. Parse (by Facebook) is a preferred backend provider for Twilio, the premier telephony service. By combining Parse and Twilio you can create a wide variety of applications which span SMS, web, mobile apps and more.

1. Thomas Bouldin
@inilned
Twilio and Parse
Rich Experiences in & out of Native Clients

2. What is an App?
Think outside the 4” box
Modern apps are in the cloud
The cloud has no home button
The cloud never sleeps
The cloud is complicated
Your App Here

3. What is Parse?
Data Social Push
AnalyticsHostingCloud Code

4. Parse is Everywhere

5. Twilio + Parse
Cross platform clouds are awesome
Cross-media clouds are awesomer
Twilio provides reach, delivery, and events
Parse provides persistence, logic, and native
apps

6. SMS or App
Apps have a custom experience
Apps are bespoke
Apps have high acquisition costs
SMS is universal
SMS is far reaching
SMS is guaranteed

7. Four different ways
SMS or App
Exclusive SMS is the App
Hybrid Apps require SMS for core features
Parity SMS or App are portals to the same
experience
Segmentation Different roles have different
environments

8. AnyQs: A Twilio + Parse app to handle Q&A
Building a Segmented App
A quick afternoon hack on Twilio + Parse
Audience members ask questions via SMS
Web app allows moderators to approve or reject
Native app for presenter to review questions

9. Data Model
Pending
Class Structure State Machine
RejectedAccepted
Answere
d
Question
to: string
from: string
prompt: string
state: string

10. Cloud Code in Depth
Data HostingCloud Modules
Functions Background Jobs

11. Asking Questions
How is
babby
formed
?

12. Get a Parse Sub-Domain (opt)
Asking Questions
Within your Parse App’s settings

13. Tell Twilio Where to Send Messages
Asking Questions
Within the settings of your Twilio number:

14. Set up Twilio and Express
Asking Questions
var twilio = require("twilio");
twilio.initialize(account SID, auth token);
var Question = Parse.Object.extend("Question");
var express = require("express");
var app = express();
app.use(express.bodyParser);
app.listen();
app.post("/questions", function(request, response) {
// TODO: stuff... (next slide)
});

15. Implementing /questions
Asking Questions
var question = new Question({
from: request.body.From,
to: request.body.To,
status: "pending",
prompt: request.body.Body
});
question.save().then(function() {
response.send("");
}, function(error) {
response.status(500);
response.send(error);
});

16. Moderating Questions

17. Simple Web App UI
Moderating Questions

18. Get Pending Questions
Moderating Questions
var Question = Parse.Object.extend("Question");
var query = new Parse.Query(Question);
query.equalTo("status", "pending");
query.find().then(function(results) {
table.empty();
_.each(results, function(question) {
addRow(question.id, question.get("prompt"));
});
});

19. Modifying Questions
Moderating Questions
function updateQuestion(id, status) {
}
var row = $("#question" + id);
row.children("button").attr("disabled", "disabled");
var question = new Question();
question.id = id;
question.set("status", status);
question.save().then(function() {
row.remove();
});

20. Responding to Users
Moderating Questions
Parse.Cloud.beforeSave("Question", function(req, resp) {
var q = request.object;
var promise = Parse.Promise.as(); // already fulfilled
if (q.dirty("status") &&
q.get("status") === "rejected") {
promise = twilio.sendSMS({
From: q.get("to"),
To: q.get("from"),
Body: "Being off topic makes me a sad panda."
});
}
promise.then(function() { resp.success(); },
function(error) { resp.error(error) });
});

21. Answering Questions

22. Thomas Bouldin
@inilned
Concluding with a Demo
AKA Q&A

23. Hack Ideas
Push + SMS chatroom
SMS password reset
SMS alerts on data streams
SMS voting + Parse Analytics