Grammar Menu Block

Creating a Simple Grammar Video

Below is a video tutorial on building a simple grammar with the Grammar Menu block.

Important Note: While the interface for Composer in this video is from release 8.0.1, 
the steps are the basically the same for subsequent releases.

The Grammar Menu block uses Grammar Builder files to determine the input options.

Menu Block Exception Events

The Menu block has eight local exception events.

• error
• error.noresource
• maxspeechtimeout
• noinput
• nomatch
• error.badfetch.grammar.uri
• error.badfetch.grammar.syntax
• error.badfetch.grammar.load

The Grammar Menu block has the following properties:

Name Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties.

Block Notes

Can be used for both callflow and workflow blocks to add comments.  

Exceptions

Find this property's details under Common Properties.

Gbuilder File

A Gbuilder file is created using Grammar Builder and may contain grammar-related information for multiple locales in a proprietary format. The Grammar Menu block can work with the Gbuilder file directly. The Gbuilder File property is used to select a Gbuilder file in the project. This step also selects the particular rule Rule ID to use for the Grammar Menu block. Once specified, the Grammar Menu block creates menu options based on the information contained in the specified Rule ID in the selected Gbuilder file. To select a grammar builder file and rule:

1. Select the Gbuilder File row in the block's property view.
2. Click the button to open the GBuilder File dialog box.

Grammar builder files that are defined for this Composer Project are shown in the GBuilder Files pane on the left. These files are usually located in the project folder path: [VoiceProject] > Resources > Grammars > [ locale] > [gbuilderfile].gbuilder . Note: Gbuilder files also contain DTMF information.

1. Select a grammar builder file in the left pane.
2. Rules defined for the selected grammar builder file are displayed in the Rules in selected file pane to the right. Select the rule you want to use in this Grammar Menu block, then click OK.

Your selection automatically populates the information for the following three properties: Rule IdRule TagsMenu Options Note: The Grammar Menu block does not pick up changes automatically if you change your Gbuilder file. To synchronize the block with the latest changes, click on the Gbuilder File property. In the popup make sure that the correct Gbuilder file and RuleID are selected. Click OK to close the dialog box. Your diagram will now reflect any menu options changes made in the Gbuilder file.

Rule ID

The Rule Id property is automatically populated with the rule you selected from the Rules in selected file pane in the GBuilder File dialog box. (Refer to the Gbuilder File property.) This is a read-only property in the properties view.

Rule Tags

The Rule Tags property is automatically populated with the specific rule tags that have been defined for the rule you selected from the Rules in selected file pane in the GBuilder File dialog box. (Refer to the Gbuilder File property and Rule Id property.) This is a read-only property in the properties view.

Language

The language set by this property overrides any language set by the Set Language block, the Project preferences, or the incoming call parameters. The property takes effect only for the duration of this block, and the language setting reverts back to its previous state after the block is done. In the case of the Grammar Menu block, this property affects the language of grammars of TTS output:

1. Click under Value to display a down arrow.
2. Click the down arrow and select English - United States (en-US) or the variable that contains the language.

Condition Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks.

Logging Details Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks.

Log Level Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks.

Enable Status Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks.

Menu Mode

To assign a value to the Menu Mode property:

1. Select the Menu Mode row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, select DTMF, Voice, or Hybrid from the drop-down list.

The DTMF format indicates the menu option mode of input will be via the telephone keypad. Note: Grammar Builder treats DTMF as another locale. The Voice format indicates the menu option mode of input will be a voice phrase. The Hybrid menu mode will handle both DTMF and Voice inputs, that is via telephone keypad and voice phrase. Note:  If you select the Hybrid menu mode, you will have to provide both voice and DTMF values for all menu options.

Menu Options

The Menu Options property is automatically populated with generated menu items (options) that apply to the selected rule tags in the grammar builder file. You do not modify this property. (Refer to the Gbuilder File property, Rule Id property, and Rule Tags property.) This is a read-only property in the properties view.

Clear Buffer

Use the Clear Buffer property for clearing the DTMF digits in the key-ahead buffer. If it is not set to true, the DTMF digits entered are carried forward to the next block. It is commonly used for applications with multiple menus, enabling the caller to key ahead the DTMF digits corresponding to the menu choices. To assign a value to the Clear Buffer property:

1. Select the Clear Buffer row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, select true or false from the drop-down list.

Interruptible

The Interruptible property does not apply to the Record block. This property specifies whether the caller can interrupt the prompt before it has finished playing. To assign a value to the Interruptible property:

1. Select the Interruptible row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, select true,false,or DTMF (for DTMF barge-in mode support) from the drop-down list.

Prompts

Find this property's details under Common Properties. Note: When Type is set to Value and Interpret-As is set to Audio, you can specify an HTTP or RTSP URL.  When Type is set to Variable and Interpret-As is set to Audio, you can specify a variable that contains an HTTP or RTSP URL.

Timeout

The Timeout property defines the length of the pause between when the voice application plays the last data in the list, and when it moves to the next block. To provide a timeout value:

1. Select the Timeout row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, type a timeout value, in seconds.

Security

When the Security property is set to true, data for this block is treated as private. GVP will consider the data entered by the caller for this block as sensitive and will suppress it in platform logs and metrics. To assign a value to the Security property:

1. Select the Security row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, select true or false from the drop-down list.

Output Result

You must use the Output Result property to assign the collected data to a user-defined variable for further processing. Note!  This property is mandatory. You must select a variable for the output result even if you do not plan on using the variable. If this is not done, a validation error will be generated in the Problems view.

1. Select the Output Result row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, click the down arrow and select a variable.

For more information, see Upgrading Projects/Diagrams.

Get Shadow Variables

Shadow variables provide a way to retrieve further information regarding the value of an input item. By setting this property to true, it will expose the block’s shadow variable within the callflow. When enabled, the shadow variable will be included in the list of available variables. (For example, the Log block’s Logging Details will show GrammarMenu1$.) A shadow variable is referenced as blockname$.shadowVariable, where blockname is the value of the input item's name attribute, and shadowVariable is the name of a specific shadow variable, for example: GrammarMenu1$.duration. To assign a value to the Get Shadow Variables property:

1. Select the Get Shadow Variables row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, select true or false from the drop-down list.

Number of Retries Allowed

This property determines how many opportunities the user will be provided to re-enter the value. If Use Last Prompt Indefinitely is set to true, this property has no effect; otherwise, the error.com.genesyslab.composer.toomanynomatches or error.com.genesyslab.composer.toomanynoinputs errors will be raised on reaching the maximum retry limit. To provide a value for the number of retries allowed:

1. Select the Number Of Retries Allowed row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, type a value for the number of retries that will be allowed.

Retry Prompts

Find this property's details under Common Properties. A selection can only be made if the Number Of Retries Allowed Property is greater than 0. U

se Last Reprompt Indefinitely

If you set the Use Last Reprompt Indefinitely property to true, the application uses your last re-prompt as the prompt for all further retries. Therefore, the exception handlers that come out for nomatch and noinput are redundant--even if you set the default exceptions that come out as red dots on the left-side of the block. To assign a value to the Use Last Reprompt Indefinitely property:

1. Select the Use Last Reprompt Indefinitely row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, select true or false from the drop-down list.

Use Original Prompts

If you set the Use Original Prompts property to true, in the event of an error requiring a retry, the application first plays back the retry error prompt, and then plays back the original prompt for the block (as specified in the Prompts property). To assign a value to the Use Original Prompts property:

1. Select the Use Original Prompts row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, select true or false from the drop-down list.

Use Single Counter For Nomatch And Noinput

If you set the Use Single Counter For Nomatch And Noinput property to true, the application maintains a single combined counter for the nomatch and noinput errors. For example, if the block has three nomatch retry messages and three noinput retry messages, the user gets three retry attempts. If you do not select this option, the application generates a total of six retries; and the user gets up to six retry attempts while not exceeding three of each type -- noinput or nomatch. Note: This property not available on the Record block. To assign a value to the Use Single Counter For Nomatch And Noinput property:

1. Select the Use Single Counter For Nomatch And Noinput row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, select true or false from the drop-down list.