[asterisk-dev] Re: [svn-commits] murf: trunk r41283 - /trunk/main/pbx.c

[Jason Parker]

----- Steven Critchfield <critch at basesys.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 2006-08-30 at 10:57 -0500, John Lange wrote:
> > On Wed, 2006-08-30 at 10:31 -0500, Steven Critchfield wrote:
> > > > Already the existing system has some limitations; for example it
> can not
> > > > match a variable number of digits. I had a friend who was trying
> to
> > > > implement an ISDN lookup for library books (ISDNs are variable
> length)
> > > > but had problems because of the limitations on the matching.
> > > 
> > > I think you meant ISBN. And variable number of digits is
> supported. You
> > > just need to know how to determine when it is shorter or longer
> and
> > > write your dialplan as such. 
> > 
> > LOL, ya, ISBN. Apparently I've exceeded the maximum acronym storage
> > limit of my brain.
> > 
> > > Think about it, in dialplans, most people have short internal
> extensions
> > > that can be dialed, and longer PSTN local and even longer PSTN LD
> > > numbers that can all be handled just fine. 
> > 
> > I'll ask for the specific example. I think it had to do with
> terminating
> > with a "#". So:
> > 
> > exten => _X.#,1,....
> > 
> > Does not work. Everything after the "." is ignored and you are
> forced to
> > rely on the digit timeout for asterisk to start doing anything. This
> is
> > exceptionally annoying in this case because the timeouts are long
> to
> > allow people to enter a difficult number.
> 
> That _may_ be considered a bug. I hadn't thought of useing the #
> terminater in the dialplan.
> 
> Of course it could have been implemented in a loop. loose idea below,
> not sure it would work exactly as written.
> 
> [isbn-input]
> exten => s,1,Playback instructions.
> exten => _X,1,do something to set/add this collected digit into a
> var.
> exten => _X,2,Goto(isbn-input,noop)
> 
> exten => noop,1,noop()
> 
> exten => #,1,validate the number
> exten => #,2,goto(somewhere else)
> 
> Defiantely jumping through a little hoop, but otherwise not bad. I
> would
> like to see the example you mentioned be able to work though.
> 
> -- 
> Steven Critchfield <critch at basesys.com>
> 

The problem with using # in a dialplan, is that many SIP (and probably other) devices silently eat #.  # is often the "send the call with the previously dialed digits" button.

-- 
Jason Parker
Digium