New VoiceXML capabilities for the AVvoicxml2-0 package

The following list describes new VoiceXML capabilities that are available with the AVvoicxml2-0 package, which is compliant with the VoiceXML 2.0 specification dated March 16, 2004. To use the AVvoicxml2-0 package, customers must ensure that their VoiceXML applications comply with the VoiceXML 2.0 specification. All references to the VoiceXML 2.0 specification in the following list are referring to the specification dated March 16, 2004.

1. All applications must define the xmlns attribute for the VXML element.
2. Elements from the VoiceXML 1.0 specification that are not supported in the published VoiceXML 2.0 specification are not be allowed.
3. The event maxspeechtimeout is thrown if the maxspeechtimeout property is set and the maxspeechtimeout time elapses before the user stops talking.
4. The record element will now accept a media type of audio/basic in addition to audio/x-wav. The default value is still audio/x-wav.
5. In previous releases, the session variable session.connection.originator was not defined. For the AVvoicxml2-0 package, session.connection.originator is defined. However, because the Avaya Voice Browser can only receive calls, session.connection.originator is assigned the value of session.connection.remote.
6. In previous releases, the session variable session.connection.protocol.<protocolname>, which can be used to specify elements that apply to a specific telephony protocol, was not defined. For the AVvoicxml2-0 package, session.connection.protocol.<protocolname> is defined, but has no explicit initial value.
7. The VoiceXML 2.0 specification requires that the interpreter throw a badfetch error when a document contains an element that has mutually exclusive attributes defined. The error must be thrown in the context of a calling document. (That is, If you <goto> a form containing this error, the badfetch is thrown in the calling document.) Avaya IR R1.2 supported this error, but it was only thrown at execution time. Now, this error is thrown during document parsing. This may result in customers receiving the badfetch at a different time than they expect (in the calling document rather than the called document).
8. <metadata> elements can now have content as defined in the specification. This content will not be validated. The content must still meet the basic XML structural requirements (opening/closing element tags must match.)
9. For mixed initiative dialogs, an ASR answer can fill any input item. Previously, the Avaya Voice Browser would only fill <field> items.
10. Section 3.1.6.1 of the VoiceXML specification states that non-scalar values can be returned as semantic results. Additionally, slot expressions can select values using non-scalar values. The AVvoicxml2-0 package supports two-level objects.
11. Section 1.5.2 of the VoiceXML specification states that a leaf to root transition within the same application occurs when the current document is a leaf document and the target document's absolute URI is the same as the name of the current application. The current application root document and its context are preserved when the transition is caused by a <choice>, <goto>, or <link> element. The root context is initialized when a <submit> element causes the leaf to root transition, because a <submit> always results in a fetch of its URI.
12. The VoiceXML 2.0 specification states that if a document does not have an application root document, then the application scope and document scope are treated as the same thing when referencing variables. When no application root document is defined, variables defined in the application's <form> level can be referenced as either application.<variablename> or document.<variablename>. In previous releases, these variables could not be accessed as document.<variablename>.
13. Utterance and inputmode are now set for the application.lastresult$ variable when a bridged transfer is terminated using a local grammar.
14. The Avaya Voice Browser can execute external scripts that are in UTF-16.
15. The Avaya Voice Browser throws an error.noresource.asr when ASR is requested, but not available.
16. The Termtimeout attribute for DTMF grammars now complies with the VoiceXML 2.0 specification. Previously, termtimeout was ignored and grammars would return only when the length-termination character, or interdigit timeouts had been satisfied, after DTMF input had started. Now, when a termtimeout is specified and a termination character is specified, once the input has satisfied the grammar, the Avaya Voice Browser will wait for the termtimeout period for an optional termination character before returning.
17. The fetchaudiodelay attribute now complies with the VoiceXML 2.0 specification.
18. Fetchaudiominimum will now play at least the specified minimum portion of the fetchaudio. In previous releases, this parameter was ignored.
19. The rules for event counters require that all events with matching prefixes be increased, even if not taken for a specific error. So, if an application defines events such as error.foo, error.foo.bar, and error.foo.foo.bar, then a throw of error.foo will cause the event counters for all three errors to be increased.

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