[Asterisk-Users] Feedback needed! FindMe/FollowMe Feature Spec.

[Brian D'Arcy]

Hello all,

I'm going to tackle learning C this week, and start writing my first *
add-on/contribution; assuming it's actually worthy of contributing once
it's done.. I think I've chosen a hefty project for my first go round
here...

I'd like to get some feedback from everyone on a FindMe/FollowMe spec
I've put together.  Before you read on, let me say, I don't want this to
turn into a "it would be cool if it did this.., or that etc..".  I'm
writing this to serve a very simple and basic function, and I want it to
do  exceedingly well at just that for starters.

Please check out specs below as to how I envision it working within a
dialplan environment, and also, please keep in mind this is being
written to be used in a corporate environment.  There are a lot of
others out there with far more * experience than myself, so any
constructive criticism would be most welcome as to the layout and
configuration of the soon to be app_findme.

Thanks!

Spec for app_findme

Have a .conf file (findme.conf?) which contains multiple contexts, each
context's name should match the naming convention used with sip, or
iax.conf.  For example, if I have [bdarcy] as one of my sip peer
entries, in findme.conf I would have, [bdarcy] also listed as an entry.
Values within each entry would be labeled something like,

[bdarcy]
ExternalNum1: 91235551212
ExternalNum2: 91235551213
etc...

app_findme would be used as the unavailable behaviour within the
dialplan (or could be used in both unavailable and busy), for example

[macro-stdexten]
exten => s,1,Wait(1)
exten => s,2,Dial(${ARG2},20,tTr)
exten => s,3,FindMe(${ARG2})
exten => s,4,Voicemail(u${ARG1})
exten => s,5,Wait(4)
exten => s,6,Hangup
exten => s,104,Voicemail(b${ARG1})
exten => s,105,Wait(2)
exten => s,106,Hangup

As the default unavailable behaviour, it always tries the findme
application, if no entries for this person exist in findme.conf, it
continues on in the dialplan, and hits the unavailable voicemail.  If
entries are found:

Call gets answered, caller hears:

"Hello, please wait while I try and find the person you are calling.
(MOH)"
Every 10 seconds play to the caller: "Still trying to find this person,
please wait.."

Callee answers, app_findme says: "There is a call for you from (CIDNum),
to accept this call, press *, otherwise press #, or hangup."
If I press *, the caller hears, I have found this person, connecting you
now.." 

Caller hears:  "I have found this person for you, connecting you now.."

If # is pressed, the callee hangs up, or it never receives the *
confirmation tone,  the caller hears: "Sorry, I was unable to find this
person for you." and +101's the priority sending them into the busy
voicemail.

I look forward to hearing back from everyone on this.  I'm really
excited to start learning, and feedback from the community will help
motivate me, while also ensuring I don't shelve this project just to
play some XBOX and drink some beer during my free time!

Brian D'Arcy