[Asterisk-Users] What about a higher level configuration language

[Craig Guy]

The jump to +101 does not mean busy and it is wrong to assume this.  A jump
to +101 more closely resembles an error condition or exception roughly
meaning 'The channel cannot be created'.  A busy is a specific instance of
the general case of 'channel cannot be created'.  For example see the
Chanisavail command and also the $Dialstatus variable.  If for example
someone dials an undefined extension then the dialplan jumps to +101, if
someone unplugs their phone, the dialplan jumps to +101.

In my office we are all within shouting distance of each other so I treat
internal busy different depending on the context, external callers get
voicemail whilst internal callers get busy.  Along the same lines external
callers dialling a non-existent extension get routed to reception whilst
internal callers get a hangup tone.

My point is that +101 is just one example of things to consider before
designing another 'configuration language'.  Make sure you understand how
the existing 'language' works and recognise that many people use * for many
different things.  I fear a config language that would be good for IVR but
crap for a multi-site software PBX or more generally, good for some things
but not so good for doing other things, thereby restricting *'s current
flexibility.  I would agree with Mark, trying to define extensions.conf in
XML would be very frustrating and very inflexible.

Craig

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Asterisk" <asterisk at dotr.com>
To: "Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion"
<asterisk-users at lists.digium.com>
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2004 4:43 AM
Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] What about a higher level configuration
language


> I pray for an end to the priorities as well. The +101 could be easily
solved
> by a default label, or an option to the dial
>
> for example:
>
> exten => _7XX,1,Dial(yada,10)
> exten => _7XX,2,Voicemail(unavail)
> exten => _7XX,3,Hangup
> exten => _7XX,102,Voicemail(Busy)
>
> could be:
>
> exten => Dial:_7XX,Dial(yada,10)
> exten => Hangup:_7XX,Hangup
> exten => VMUnavail:_7XX,Voicemail(unavail)
> exten => VMBusy_7XX,Voicemail(Busy)
>
> in other words, the dial automatically looks for VMUnavail if not
answered,
> or VMBusy if the line is busy
>
> or
>
> exten =>
>
StartPlan:Dial:_7XX,Dial(yada,10,BeforeAnswer=AA,AfterAnswer=ZZ,Busy=XX,NoAn
swer=YY)
> exten => ZZ:_7XX,Hangup
> exten => XX:_7XX,Voicemail(unavail)
> exten => YY:_7XX,Voicemail(Busy)
>
> There must be fat better ways of expressing my thoughts, but it's late on
> Sunday :)
>
> Julian
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Brian Capouch" <brianc at palaver.net>
> To: "Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion"
> <asterisk-users at lists.digium.com>
> Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2004 8:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] What about a higher level configuration
> language
>
>
> > Dinesh Nair wrote:
> >> On 27/09/2004 00:50 Jay Milk said the following:
> >>
> >>> Eliminating the need to specify (and keep track of) priorities would
> >>> make changes to extensions.conf much easier to implement.
> >>
> >>
> >> or perhaps allow non-consecutive priorities.
> >>
> >
> > After this topic was discussed a bit at the developer's confab, I got to
> > thinking about what a great feature that would be.
> >
> > Renumbering priorities is a sadly common task for me in my somewhat
> > chaotic config environment, and having a way to "sneak in" actions in
> > between existing ones would be a major win.
> >
> > Of course, the problem of the hard-coded "priority + 101" situation is
> > problematical.  I say we think through what the perfect world would look
> > like in this respect and then see how hard it would be to implement. . .
> >
> > B.
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