Audio Variable

Nodes and Palette Options > Detailed Palette Option Descriptions > Audio Variable

	Audio Variable

Type

Prompt Editor Palette item

Available from

Any level tab in the Prompt File Editor. For more information about the Prompt File Editor, see Using the Prompt File Editor.

Purpose

Audio variables make use of prepackaged and prerecorded variables to play back standardized types of information to callers. These standardized types of information include time, date, and currency, to name a few. Audio variables make it possible to use prerecorded speech, rather than Text-to-Speech, to play this type of dynamically changing information to callers.

Behavior

The runtime framework treats audio variables in speech applications differently than other types of variables. When runtime encounters an audio variable, it takes the value assigned to that variable and parses it into pieces that correspond with predefined elements. The elements are then mapped to the appropriate pre-recorded (*.wav) files and at run time plays back the prerecorded files.

For example, you might have a variable defined to take the value of the current date. If you then use this variable as an audio variable segment in a prompt, the localization bundle parses the value from the variable. It assigns one part of the variable to "month," another part to "day," and yet another to "year." It then maps each of these parts to the appropriate prerecorded audio files.

Before using audio variables, a localization bundle and standard phrases for the language needs to be installed. To install the localization bundle, see Administering Localization Bundles. To install a set of standard phrases, see Using a Localization Bundle's Standard Phrasesets.

For audio variables to work correctly, you must be careful that:

The format of the variable to be used as the audio variable matches the format that the localization bundle expects and can recognize. For more information about the formats that localization bundles can recognize, see Variable Formats in Localization Bundles.

You select the correct format for the audio variable when you use it in a prompt. For more information about formats for audio variables, see System Variable Fields and Properties.

For information about how to use system variables as audio variables, see Audio Field Properties.

Properties

Variable - Select the variable you want to use. If the variable you select is a complex variable, you must also select a Variable Field.

Variable Field - Select the variable field you want to use.

The contents of this list depend on which variable you selected in the Variable property: Only the fields associated with the selected variable are presented in this list.

Note:

If the variable you selected in the Variable field is a simple variable, this field is inactive.

Format - Select the format you want to use for the variable.

The options available depend on the language and the localization bundle you are using. For more information about formats available with localization bundles, see Variable Formats in Localization Bundles.