[asterisk-users] Large dial plans and variables

[Doug Garstang]

I have a large dial plan here with over 3000 lines, and several dozen 
macros. As it grew, it became apparent that there was some problems.

1. When you pass arguments to a macro in the form of $ARG1, $ARG2 etc, 
if that macro calls another macro, and passes arguments like this as 
well, you lose the original values.

2. When the macro's 'return' some value, it has to set a channel 
variable. If your not careful, this quickly becomes a mess. Some 
standard mechanism is needed.

In fact, the over all problem is that all channel variables are global 
within that channel. Macro's don't have local variables and it makes 
programming large dial plans problematic. Even things like loop counters 
can get trashed when your inside of a loop, and you jump somewhere else 
and modify that loop variable, and jump back.

Anyone got any tips on how to manage this? It would be awesome if AEL2 
could address this somehow...

Doug.