Test Results
The Test Results IVR was designed as a simple integrated voice response (IVR) application that allows a customer to call in, enter an ID number and receive a message based on a database entry that maps the customer ID to a particular message ID. As the name implies, it was written as a means of informing the caller of a test result, but it can certainly be used for other similar purposes.
Configuration
Configuration settings for the Test Results IVR are kept in a single configuration file named testresults.ini, which is stored in the C:\VS\IVR\TestResults folder.
[General]
This section contains all settings that control the overall operation of the IVR application. They include:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| DataFile | Full path and filename of the comma-separated value (CSV) data file containing the test results. |
| LogFile | Full path and filename of the ASCII text file in which the application will log call activity. Each line in the log will contain: the date and time of the call, the voice line number on which the call was received, the user ID of the caller (if relevant), and some descriptive text. |
| MaxIDLength | Enter the maximum number of digits in an ID number. The default value is 9 digits. |
| MaxErrors | Enter the maximum number of times a caller can enter an invalid ID number before the IVR quits and returns the caller to the auto attendant. The default value is 3 errors. |
| MessageBox | Enter the mailbox in which the callers may leave a message if they have questions about their test result. |
| NumResults | Enter the number of valid test results. The default value is 4 results. |
[Resultx]
For each valid test result, there must be a corresponding [Resultx] section, where x is a number from 1 to NumResults. For example, if NumResults is set to 4, then there must be sections for [Result1], [Result2], [Result3] and [Result4]. Each such section contains the following settings:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Description | Enter a description of the purpose or meaning for this result. Optional. |
| Mailbox | Enter the mailbox that contains the prompt (greeting) that will be played to inform the caller of the test result. The path and filename of the actual prompt recording must be assigned to the same greeting number as that assigned to the RNA greeting for the mailbox. See Mailbox Administration for details. |
Data Format
The Test Results IVR looks for its data in the file specified by the DataFile setting in the [General] section of testresults.ini configuration file, as described above. This data file uses an ASCII-text, comma-separated value (CSV) format. Each line of the file represents the data record for a single customer's test result. The following in an example record:
132950969,1
In this example, the customer's ID number is 132950969 and the test result value is 1. Note that the two fields are separated by a comma and that there are no extra spaces.
| Field | Position | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ID Number | 1st | The customer's ID number. May contain up to MaxIDLength digits, as described in the Configuration section above. |
| Test Result | 2nd | The customer's test result. Valid range is from 1 to NumResults. This number is used to look up the mailbox number from the associated [Resultx] section of the configuration file, which is then used to find the correct greeting to play to the caller. |
Updating the data file while any callers are accessing the IVR is not advised and may cause the system to crash. The system reads this file every time a caller enters an ID number to get a test result. Overwriting the file while the IVR is accessing it could cause the IVR to crash.