Prompt Block

Use the Prompt block to play specific data to the caller. The Prompt block has no page exceptions. The Prompt block has the following properties:

Name Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties.

Block Notes Property

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

Language Property

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 Prompt 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.

Clear Buffer Property

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 the caller is familiar with. For example, the caller hears a welcome prompt but knows the next prompt will solicit the caller's input or menu selection. The caller may start inputting with dtmf while the welcome prompt plays and expect the input to carry forward. 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.

Immediate Playback Property

Important! See Note in Timeout section below.

• When Immediate Playback is set to true, prompts are played immediately on the execution of the prompt without queuing them.
• When Immediate Playback is set to false (default), the interpreter goes to the transitioning state and queues the TTS Prompt until the interpreter waits for an input (such as the Menu, Input, Record,and Transfer blocks.

To assign a value to the Immediate Playback property:

1. Select the Immediate Playback row in the block's property table.
2. In the Value field, select true or false from the drop-down list.  Selecting false will causes prompts only to be played when waiting for input.  Set to false if you want prompts to be played consistent with the VXML default behavior as described below. Otherwise select true to have Composer force immediate playback.

VXML Behavior and Queueing of Prompts

A prompt gets played only when the platform is waiting for input. As described in Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML) Version 2.0, section 4.1.8, a VoiceXML interpreter is at all times in one of two states:

• waiting for input in an input item (such as <field>, <record>, or <transfer>), or
• transitioning between input items in response to an input (including spoken utterances, dtmf key presses, and input-related events such as a noinput or nomatch event) received while in the waiting state. While in the transitioning state no speech input is collected, accepted or interpreted...

The waiting and transitioning states are related to the phases of the Form Interpretation Algorithm as follows:

• the waiting state is eventually entered in the collect phase of an input item (at the point at which the interpreter waits for input), and
• the transitioning state encompasses the process and select phases, the collect phase for control items (such as <block>s), and the collect phase for input items up until the point at which the interpreter waits for input.

An important consequence of this model is that the VoiceXML application designer can rely on all executable content (such as the content of <filled> and <block> elements) being run to completion, because it is executed while in the transitioning state, which may not be interrupted by input. While in the transitioning state, various prompts are queued, either by the <prompt> element in executable content or by the <prompt> element in form items. In addition, audio may be queued by the fetchaudio attribute. The queued prompts and audio are played either

• when the interpreter reaches the waiting state, at which point the prompts are played and the interpreter listens for input that matches one of the active grammars, or
• when the interpreter begins fetching a resource (such as a document) for which fetchaudio was specified. In this case the prompts queued before the fetchaudio are played to completion, and then, if the resource actually needs to be fetched (i.e. it is not unexpired in the cache), the fetchaudio is played until the fetch completes. The interpreter remains in the transitioning state and no input is accepted during the fetch.

Interruptible Property

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.

Note: For Prompts to be interruptible, there must be a an Input block (Menu, Input, etc.) in the execution path. If there are no such blocks further down in the execution path, the Interruptible property has no effect. If a Backend or Subdialog block has to be used after the Prompt block, insert an Input block before the Backend or Subdialog block for the prompt to be uninterruptible.

Prompts Property

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. Starting with 8.1.410.14, validation displays a warning message if a resource file does not exist.

Timeout Property

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.

Note: Composer does not honor the Timeout setting if you keep the Immediate Playback default setting (=false); for example, where sequential prompts are used. In order for Composer to honor the timeout, you must set Immediate Playback to true.