Discord.py Demo Bot

Welcome to the Discord.py Demo Bot! 🚀

This repository is designed to be the perfect starting point for absolute beginners who want to learn how to create Discord bots using Python and the discord.py library.

It includes everything you need to understand the basics:

• Slash Commands (the modern way to interact with bots).
• Events (how the bot reacts to messages, startup, etc.).
• Cogs (how to organize your code into multiple files).
• Interactive UI (Buttons, Select Menus).

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📚 Prerequisites

Before you start, you need a few tools installed on your computer:

1. Python: The programming language we are using.

   • Download and install Python 3.10 or newer from python.org.
   • Important: During installation, check the box that says "Add Python to PATH".

2. Code Editor: A place to write and read your code.

   • We recommend Visual Studio Code (VS Code), which is free and beginner-friendly.

3. Git (Optional but recommended): Helps you download this project easily.

   • Download from git-scm.com.

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🛠️ Setup Guide

Follow these steps carefully to get your bot running!

1. Create a Discord Application

1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal.
2. Click "New Application", give it a name (e.g., "MyFirstBot"), and create it.
3. Go to the "Bot" tab on the left sidebar.
4. Click "Add Bot" and confirm.
5. Important: Scroll down to the "Privileged Gateway Intents" section.
   • Enable Presence Intent.
   • Enable Server Members Intent.
   • Enable Message Content Intent.
   • Why? These allow your bot to see who is in the server and read command messages.
6. Click "Save Changes".
7. Scroll back up to the "Token" section. Click "Reset Token", then "Copy".
   • Warning: Never share this token! It is your bot's password.

2. Invite the Bot to Your Server

1. Go to the "OAuth2" tab -> "URL Generator".
2. Under Scopes, check bot and applications.commands.
3. Under Bot Permissions, check Administrator (for testing purposes; later you can be more specific).
4. Copy the generated URL at the bottom and paste it into your browser to invite the bot to your test server.

3. Download the Code

If you have Git installed, open your terminal (Command Prompt or PowerShell) and run:

git clone https://github.com/Xougui/demobot.git
cd demobot

Alternatively, you can click the green "Code" button on GitHub and select "Download ZIP", then extract it.

4. Install Dependencies

In your terminal (inside the demobot folder), run:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Note: On macOS/Linux, you might need to use pip3 instead of pip.

5. Configure Your Bot

1. Find the file named .env.example.
2. Rename it to .env.
3. Open .env with your text editor.
4. Paste your copied Bot Token after DISCORD_TOKEN=.
5. (Optional) Paste your User ID after OWNER_ID= (Enable "Developer Mode" in Discord settings to right-click your profile and "Copy ID").
6. (Optional) Fill in LOG_CHANNEL_ID and LOG_SERVER_ID if you want to test logging features.

Your .env file should look something like this:

DISCORD_TOKEN=MTAw... (your long token here)
OWNER_ID=123456789...
...

6. Run the Bot!

In your terminal, run:

python main.py

Note: On macOS/Linux, you might need python3 main.py.

If successful, you should see:

Bot is ready.
Bot running with:
Username:  MyFirstBot#1234
User ID:  ...
Synced 8 commands

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🎮 Commands

Go to your Discord server and type / to see the available commands!

General

• /ping: Check if the bot is alive. It responds with "Pong!".
• !create_invite: Creates an invite link (needs 'Manage Server' permission).

Fun & UI Examples

• /buttons: Shows buttons you can click.
• /select_menu: Shows a dropdown menu.
• /counter: Starts a counting game in a specific channel.
• /testbutton: A button that still works even if you restart the bot!

Admin

• /dm [member] [message]: Sends a private message to a user as the bot.

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📂 Project Structure (How it works)

• main.py: The brain of the bot. It starts the bot, loads extensions, and handles basic startup tasks.
• cog/: This folder contains Extensions (or "Cogs"). Think of them as plugins or modules.
  • dm.py: Handles the /dm command.
  • example_cog.py: A very simple example to copy when making your own commands.
  • logging.py: Shows how to log events.
  • button.py / selector.py: Examples of interactive buttons and menus.
• data/: Where the bot saves data (like the counting game score).
• .env: Your secrets (Token). Git ignores this file so your token doesn't get leaked.

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❓ Troubleshooting

• "ModuleNotFoundError": You forgot to run pip install -r requirements.txt.
• "LoginFailure: Improper token": Your token in the .env file is wrong. Make sure you copied it correctly.
• "Privileged Intents... are not enabled": You missed step 1.5 in the setup guide. Go to the Developer Portal and enable the Intents.
• Commands don't show up: Wait a minute or restart your Discord app (Ctrl+R). Slash commands sometimes take time to appear.

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Happy Coding! 🎉