Whatsmeow by ashiven · Pull Request #15 · ashiven/housekeepy

ashiven · 2026-01-10T21:12:08Z

Added support for the whatsmeow api

Copilot

Pull request overview

This pull request adds WhatsApp messaging support to the household planner application using the whatsmeow library as an alternative to Twilio SMS. The implementation includes a new command-line flag to toggle between WhatsApp and SMS messaging.

Changes:

Added whatsmeow integration with QR code authentication and message sending capabilities
Refactored field naming from Phonenumber to PhoneNumber for consistency
Updated Dockerfile to support CGO and SQLite dependencies required by whatsmeow

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 8 out of 10 changed files in this pull request and generated 12 comments.

Show a summary per file

File	Description
pkg/planner/whatsmeow.go	New file implementing WhatsApp client initialization, authentication, and phone number verification
pkg/planner/message.go	Updated field references and exported CreateDailyTaskMessage function for use in main.go
pkg/planner/household.go	Renamed Phonenumber field to PhoneNumber and added PhoneNumbers() method
pkg/planner/assignments.go	Refactored receiver variable names from `household` to `h` for consistency
pkg/backend/handlers.go	Updated field reference to use PhoneNumber
main.go	Added WhatsApp messaging logic with -w flag, slices usage, and message sending loop
go.mod/go.sum	Added whatsmeow and related dependencies
Dockerfile.backend	Enabled CGO and added SQLite support for whatsmeow database
.gitignore	Added devicestore.db to ignored files

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Copilot · 2026-01-10T21:17:26Z

+		qrChannel, _ := client.GetQRChannel(context.Background())
+		err := client.Connect()
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Println("[ERROR] Login: ", err)
+		}


Return value from GetQRChannel is ignored. The second return value (error) should be checked before proceeding with the login process.

Suggested change

qrChannel, _ := client.GetQRChannel(context.Background())

err := client.Connect()

if err != nil {

fmt.Println("[ERROR] Login: ", err)

}

qrChannel, err := client.GetQRChannel(context.Background())

if err != nil {

fmt.Println("[ERROR] Login: ", err)

return

}

err = client.Connect()

if err != nil {

fmt.Println("[ERROR] Login: ", err)

return

}

Copilot · 2026-01-10T21:17:26Z

+			client := planner.NewWhatsmeowClient()
+
+			// NOTE: Needs QR Login via terminal on first startup
+			planner.Login(client)
+			time.Sleep(time.Second * 30)
+
+			phoneNumbers := myHousehold.PhoneNumbers()
+			JIDs := planner.PhoneNumbersToJIDs(client, phoneNumbers)


Error handling from NewWhatsmeowClient(), Login(), and PhoneNumbersToJIDs() is absent. Since these functions don't return errors (though they should), the code continues execution even if initialization fails. This could lead to nil pointer dereferences or unexpected behavior when trying to send messages.

Copilot · 2026-01-10T21:17:27Z

+	dbLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Database", "DEBUG", true)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on", dbLogger)


The database file path "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on" is hardcoded. This makes it difficult to configure for different environments (development, staging, production) and prevents users from specifying a custom location. Consider making this configurable through an environment variable or configuration file.

Suggested change

container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on", dbLogger)

dbPath := os.Getenv("WHATSAPP_DEVICESTORE_DSN")

if dbPath == "" {

dbPath = "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on"

}

container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", dbPath, dbLogger)

Copilot · 2026-01-10T21:17:28Z

+func PhoneNumbersToJIDs(client *whatsmeow.Client, phoneNumbers []string) map[string]types.JID {
+	JIDs := map[string]types.JID{}
+
+	isOnWhatsAppRes, err := client.IsOnWhatsApp(phoneNumbers)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("[ERROR] IsOnWhatsApp: ", err)
+	}
+
+	for _, whatsAppRes := range isOnWhatsAppRes {
+		phoneNumber := "+" + whatsAppRes.JID.User
+
+		if whatsAppRes.IsIn {
+			fmt.Printf("[INFO] %s found on whatsapp\n", phoneNumber)
+			JIDs[phoneNumber] = whatsAppRes.JID
+
+		} else {
+			fmt.Printf("[INFO] %s is not on whatsapp\n", phoneNumber)
+			JIDs[phoneNumber] = types.JID{}
+		}
+	}
+	return JIDs
+}


The function should return an error to allow proper error handling by callers. When client.IsOnWhatsApp() fails, the error is only logged and the function continues, potentially returning incomplete results. Callers cannot determine if the operation was successful.

Copilot · 2026-01-10T21:17:28Z

+			client := planner.NewWhatsmeowClient()
+
+			// NOTE: Needs QR Login via terminal on first startup
+			planner.Login(client)
+			time.Sleep(time.Second * 30)
+
+			phoneNumbers := myHousehold.PhoneNumbers()
+			JIDs := planner.PhoneNumbersToJIDs(client, phoneNumbers)


The WhatsApp client is being created, authenticated, and phone numbers are being checked on every iteration of the infinite loop (daily). This is inefficient and wasteful - client initialization, login, and phone number verification should be performed once before entering the loop, not on every day's task assignment. Consider moving lines 49-56 outside the loop.

Copilot · 2026-01-10T21:17:28Z

+					JID := JIDs[member.PhoneNumber]
+					waMessage := &waE2E.Message{Conversation: proto.String(message)}
+					_, err := client.SendMessage(context.Background(), JID, waMessage)
+					if err != nil {
+						fmt.Printf("[ERROR] Failed to deliver message to %s.\n", member.Name)
+					}
+				}


When a phone number is not on WhatsApp, an empty JID (types.JID{}) is stored in the map (line 82 in whatsmeow.go). In the message sending loop, this empty JID is then used to attempt sending a message without any validation. This will likely cause SendMessage to fail. Consider checking if the JID is valid before attempting to send, or filtering out members without valid JIDs.

Copilot · 2026-01-10T21:17:28Z

+func NewWhatsmeowClient() *whatsmeow.Client {
+	dbLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Database", "DEBUG", true)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on", dbLogger)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)
+	}
+
+	device, err := container.GetFirstDevice(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)
+	}
+
+	clientLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Client", "INFO", true)
+	client := whatsmeow.NewClient(device, clientLogger)
+
+	return client


Error is not returned or properly handled. When creating the SQL store fails, the function continues execution with a nil container, which will cause a panic on the next line when calling container.GetFirstDevice(). The error should be returned to the caller for proper handling.

Suggested change

func NewWhatsmeowClient() *whatsmeow.Client {

dbLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Database", "DEBUG", true)

ctx := context.Background()

container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on", dbLogger)

if err != nil {

fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)

}

device, err := container.GetFirstDevice(ctx)

if err != nil {

fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)

}

clientLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Client", "INFO", true)

client := whatsmeow.NewClient(device, clientLogger)

return client

func NewWhatsmeowClient() (*whatsmeow.Client, error) {

dbLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Database", "DEBUG", true)

ctx := context.Background()

container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on", dbLogger)

if err != nil {

return nil, fmt.Errorf("NewWhatsmeowClient: failed to create SQL store: %w", err)

}

device, err := container.GetFirstDevice(ctx)

if err != nil {

return nil, fmt.Errorf("NewWhatsmeowClient: failed to get first device: %w", err)

}

clientLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Client", "INFO", true)

client := whatsmeow.NewClient(device, clientLogger)

return client, nil

Copilot · 2026-01-10T21:17:29Z

+func NewWhatsmeowClient() *whatsmeow.Client {
+	dbLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Database", "DEBUG", true)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on", dbLogger)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)
+	}
+
+	device, err := container.GetFirstDevice(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)
+	}
+
+	clientLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Client", "INFO", true)
+	client := whatsmeow.NewClient(device, clientLogger)
+
+	return client


The function signature should return an error to allow proper error handling by callers. Currently, NewWhatsmeowClient returns only a *whatsmeow.Client, but errors from sqlstore.New() and container.GetFirstDevice() are only logged, not propagated. This prevents callers from handling initialization failures appropriately.

Suggested change

func NewWhatsmeowClient() *whatsmeow.Client {

dbLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Database", "DEBUG", true)

ctx := context.Background()

container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on", dbLogger)

if err != nil {

fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)

}

device, err := container.GetFirstDevice(ctx)

if err != nil {

fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)

}

clientLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Client", "INFO", true)

client := whatsmeow.NewClient(device, clientLogger)

return client

func NewWhatsmeowClient() (*whatsmeow.Client, error) {

dbLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Database", "DEBUG", true)

ctx := context.Background()

container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on", dbLogger)

if err != nil {

fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)

return nil, err

}

device, err := container.GetFirstDevice(ctx)

if err != nil {

fmt.Println("[ERROR] NewWhatsmeowClient: ", err)

return nil, err

}

clientLogger := waLogger.Stdout("Client", "INFO", true)

client := whatsmeow.NewClient(device, clientLogger)

return client, nil

ashiven added 5 commits September 9, 2025 09:48

start implementing whatsmeow

9d25ac3

start fixing errors

8c82317

continue implementing whatsmeow

017d002

fix whatsmeow

036112b

adjust backend dockerfile for whatsmeow

df74797

ashiven self-assigned this Jan 10, 2026

ashiven requested a review from Copilot January 10, 2026 21:12

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of ashiven January 10, 2026 21:12 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Jan 10, 2026

View reviewed changes

fix phonenumber case

cd580c6

ashiven merged commit f04024a into main Jan 10, 2026
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Whatsmeow#15

Whatsmeow#15
ashiven merged 6 commits into
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-	container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on", dbLogger)
+	dbPath := os.Getenv("WHATSAPP_DEVICESTORE_DSN")
+	if dbPath == "" {
+		dbPath = "file:devicestore.db?_foreign_keys=on"
+	}
+	container, err := sqlstore.New(ctx, "sqlite3", dbPath, dbLogger)

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Pull request overview

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