How to loop to get multiple dynamic fields in VXML

Question

How can I use starting and ending numbers to loop through fields saving the input to an array in VXML with or without PHP?

Psuedo code would be something like:

get startNo from caller
get endNo from caller
loop i from startNo to endNo
   audio prompt 'prompt' + i + '.wav'
   save input to results[i]
end loop
save results to database at end of loop or upon hangup

I know how to get the starting and ending numbers and how to save to the database, it is the loop that I'm not sure on.

Requirements / other notes:

A mix of VXML and PHP is fine, but I would prefer to keep most VXML in .VXML files to keep code completion in my editor
There could be up to 50 prompts (as required by business, don't ask me to redesign that)
The solution has to support the hangup event so if the connection is lost mid-way we can save the results that were gathered
Vendor-independent, VoiceXML 2.1 compliant

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 05 '12 at 13:51

Your VXML could looks something like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 
<vxml version = "2.1"> 

<var name="currNo" expr="startNo"/>
<var name="userResponse"/>

<form id="getUserInput"> 

   <field name="F_1" cond="currNo <= endNo"> 
     <grammar srcexpr="currNo + '.xml'" type="application/grammar-xml"/>
     <prompt>
       <audio expr="currNo + '.wav'"/>
     </prompt>
   </field>
   <filled>
      <assign name="userReponse" expr="F_1"/>
      <goto next="#handleResponse"/>
    </filled>
</form>

<form id="handleResponse">
   <block>
      <!-- Send each result to PHP app as you get them -->
      <!-- This way you will not loose any result on error or hangup -->
      <!-- Assumes you have some user ID to associate the result with -->
      <submit next="handleUserResponse.php" namelist="userId userResponse"/>
      <!-- Increment counter -->
      <assign name="currNo" expr="currNo + 1"/>
      <!-- If the counter is greater than endNo then we are done -->
      <if cond="currNo > endNo>
         <submit next="endApplication.vxml"/>
      <!-- Otherwise we loop back to get another response -->
      <else/>
          <goto next="#getUserInput"/>
      </if>
    </block>
</form>
</vxml>

This gives you a good idea on how to handle the looping and submitting the results. I did not include any error handling.

How to loop to get multiple dynamic fields in VXML

1 Answers1