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

Answer 1

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.