[Asterisk-Dev] Making a variable available to a dialplan

[David Filion]

Steven Critchfield wrote:

>On Thu, 2004-10-21 at 14:11 -0400, David Filion wrote:
>  
>
>>>On Thu, 2004-10-21 at 11:46 -0400, David Filion wrote:
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>Hi,
>>>>
>>>>I need to create a variable in an app "global" so that I can refer to 
>>>>its value in a dial plan.  What functions should I look at to do this?  
>>>>Searching the archives didn't turn anything up.
>>>>   
>>>>        
>>>>
>>OK, the situation.  Our company is sharing * with multiple small 
>>companies. Our dial plan makes heavy use of patterns and DB look ups 
>>(postgresql) to avoid having to hard code values, especially since a lot 
>>of the dial plan is common to all the different companies.  The problem 
>>we're run into to with the employee directories.  The directory reads 
>>its values from voicemail.conf, using the context in voicemail.conf as 
>>the context to jump to in extensions. conf.  This means that we need to 
>>create a context in extensions.conf for every company,  duplicating a 
>>lot of code.  Now, we've found a way to still divide each company into 
>>separate contexts in voicemail.conf and have them all just to the same 
>>context in extensions.conf.  However, we need access to the actual 
>>extension number, which does not appear to be passed when the jump to 
>>extensions is made. This appears to result from forcing the context to 
>>jump to in extensions.  Confused yet? I know I am.
>>
>>So, the idea is to store the values somewhere before the jump to 
>>extensions is made and then query the stored value one in extensions.  
>>Now, if this can be done with out changing any code, great. If not, then 
>>tips/pointers are welcome as I'm not real familiar with the inner 
>>workings of Asterisk yet.
>>    
>>
>
>Okay, so to modify your original request, you do NOT want a global
>variable. A global variable would be prone to a race condition where you
>have multiple callers in the directory at once and both ending up at the
>same extension as the variable is available in both places. You would
>want a channel variable so that each channel gets it's own information
>and holds it private.
>
>That is why explaining a bit more about what you want to do is
>important.
>
>I leave the rest of the question for someone more knowledgable in the
>directory app to answer the rest.
>
>  
>
Thanks, I hadn't even considered that.  I'll let you know what happens.

David