Voice Application Development with Voice XML

by Beasley, Rick; Farley, Kenneth Michael; O'Reilly, John; Squire, Leon Henry

• ISBN13: 9780672321382
• ISBN10: 0672321386
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-08-01
• Publisher: Pearson P T R

Summary

Voice Application Development with Voice XML works from an application-centric approach, detailing how a programmer proficient in standard web application development tools and techniques can build voice-based applications and interfaces. The book presents both the structure and vocabulary of VoiceXML-the primary enabling technology for voice application development-as well as the best practices developed by the authors over years of voice interface design experience at Lucent.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
Who Can Benefit from This Book	1	(1)
What You Will Need to Get the Most Use from This Book	2	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	2	(3)
VoiceXML Introduction	5	(12)
VoiceXML Language	6	(1)
A VoiceXML Scenario	6	(1)
Voice Browsing	7	(2)
How VoiceXML Works in a Voice Browser	9	(1)
Application Input	9	(1)
Application Output	9	(1)
High-Level Network Architecture	10	(1)
VoiceXML Gateway	11	(1)
Hosting VoiceXML Applications	12	(1)
Selecting VoiceXML Applications	13	(1)
Developing in VoiceXML	14	(2)
Supporting Languages and Tools	16	(1)
The VoiceXML Enabling Network	17	(14)
The VoiceXML Gateway	18	(6)
TTS Resource	19	(1)
ASR Resource	20	(2)
VoiceXML Browser and Interpreter	22	(1)
Audio Resource	23	(1)
TCP/IP Resource	24	(1)
Telephony Resource	24	(1)
Telephony Network Topologies	24	(6)
Wireline Voice Network Topology	25	(3)
Wireless Voice Network Topology	28	(2)
Summary	30	(1)
Developer Tools	31	(18)
Types of Environments	32	(1)
Environment Options and Trade-offs	33	(8)
Hosted Environment	34	(6)
Simulated Environment	40	(1)
Web-Based Environment	41	(7)
BeVocal Cafe	42	(1)
HeyAnita FreeSpeech	43	(2)
Tellme Studio	45	(1)
VoiceGenie Developer Workshop	46	(2)
Voxeo Community	48	(1)
Other Useful Tools	48	(1)
Summary	48	(1)
The VoiceXML User Interface	49	(18)
Introduction to User Interfaces	50	(3)
Components of User Interfaces	51	(1)
CHUIs, GUIs, and WUIs	52	(1)
Web User Interfaces	52	(1)
Overview of VUI	53	(3)
VUI Purpose	53	(1)
VUI Terms	53	(2)
VUI Input/Output	55	(1)
Design Differences for VUIs Compared to GUIs	56	(5)
Web Browser UI Comparison to a VUI	57	(4)
VUI User Characteristics	61	(2)
Limited PC and Internet Experience	62	(1)
Mobile Environment	62	(1)
Single Input/Output Mode	63	(1)
Other Important VUI Design Considerations	63	(2)
Attract Your Target Audience	63	(1)
Represent Tasks Users Want to Perform	64	(1)
Provide a Structure for Code Development	64	(1)
Minimize Constraint Impacts	64	(1)
Summary	65	(2)
VUI Design Overview	67	(20)
Software Development Process Overview	68	(1)
UCD Process Overview	69	(5)
User-Centered Design Tasks	72	(2)
Usability Heuristics	74	(11)
VoiceXML Usability Heuristics	74	(2)
Heuristic 1: Minimize Demands on Users' Memory and Cognitive Processes	76	(2)
Heuristic 2: Maintain a Simple and Natural Dialog	78	(1)
Heuristic 3: Provide Clear Navigation and Shortcuts	79	(2)
Heuristic 4: Provide Consistent Feedback and User-Friendly Error Handling	81	(2)
Heuristic 5: Maintain Consistency in Navigation and Terminology	83	(1)
Heuristic 6: Assess Voice and Personality Selection	83	(2)
UCD and System Design References	85	(1)
Summary	86	(1)
VUI Prototyping and Usability Testing	87	(24)
UCD Front-End Work	88	(3)
Collecting and Analyzing User Data	89	(2)
Project Task Analysis	91	(2)
The Case for Task Analysis of New Technology Projects	91	(1)
Task Analysis Example	91	(2)
Early Prototype-Application Flow Diagram	93	(7)
Develop a Low-Fidelity Prototype	93	(1)
Diagram-Based Communication	93	(1)
Diagram-Based Usability Assessment	94	(2)
Usability Requirements Examples	96	(2)
Initial Grammar Design	98	(1)
Communicating Results with Developers	99	(1)
VUI Script-an Intermediate Level Prototype	100	(4)
Usability Test Examples	100	(2)
Reusable Source	102	(1)
Timing Issues and Resource Requirements	103	(1)
VoiceXML Code Prototype	104	(6)
Assumptions	104	(1)
Overview of a Usability Testing Process	105	(1)
Designing the Usability Test Scenarios	105	(4)
Using Test Results to Improve the Application	109	(1)
Completing the Usability Test Cycle	110	(1)
Summary	110	(1)
The VoiceXML Development Process	111	(12)
Requirements	112	(4)
Spoken Language of the Deployment Region-	112	(1)
Grammar Definition	113	(1)
Speech Recognition and TTS Engine Selection	113	(1)
VoiceXML Specification Support	113	(1)
Data Provisioning	114	(1)
Content Provider Interface	114	(1)
Performance, Capacity, and Reliability	115	(1)
Architecture	116	(1)
Design and Implementation	117	(1)
Metrics Definition	118	(2)
Testing of the VoiceXML Application	120	(1)
Deployment	121	(1)
Summary	121	(2)
Basic VoiceXML Commands	123	(34)
Your First VXML Program	124	(1)
xml Element	124	(1)
Comments	124	(1)
vxml Element	124	(1)
form Element	125	(1)
Form Items	125	(3)
name Attribute	125	(1)
expr Attribute	125	(1)
cond Attribute	126	(1)
Usage Notes	126	(1)
block Element	126	(1)
name Attribute	127	(1)
expr Attribute	127	(1)
cond Attribute	127	(1)
Usage Notes	127	(1)
Field Items	127	(1)
filled Element	127	(1)
meta Element	128	(1)
name Attribute	129	(1)
content Attribute	129	(1)
http-equiv Attribute	129	(1)
Variables	129	(8)
Declaring Variables	131	(1)
name Attribute	131	(1)
expr Attribute	131	(1)
Usage Notes	131	(1)
name Attribute	132	(1)
expr Attribute	132	(1)
Usage Notes	132	(1)
More About Variables	132	(2)
Root Documents	134	(2)
Session Variables	136	(1)
Shadow Variables	136	(1)
Variable Naming Conflicts	136	(1)
if Element	137	(2)
Example	137	(2)
if/elseif/else Elements	139	(3)
cond Attribute	139	(1)
Example	139	(2)
Nested if/else/elseif Statements	141	(1)
param Element	142	(1)
name Attribute	142	(1)
expr Attribute	142	(1)
value Attribute	142	(1)
valuetype Attribute	143	(1)
type Attribute	143	(1)
subdialog Element	143	(6)
name Attribute	143	(1)
src Attribute	143	(1)
expr Attribute	144	(1)
cond Attribute	144	(1)
modal Attribute	144	(1)
namelist Attribute	144	(1)
method Attribute	144	(1)
enctype Attribute	144	(1)
caching Attribute	144	(1)
fetchtimeout Attribute	144	(1)
fetchhint Attribute	144	(1)
fetchaudio Attribute	145	(1)
return Element	145	(1)
Example	145	(2)
Another Example	147	(2)
goto Element	149	(3)
next Attribute	149	(1)
expr Attribute	150	(1)
nextitem Attribute	150	(1)
expritem Attribute	150	(1)
caching Attribute	150	(1)
fetchtimeout Attribute	150	(1)
fetchhint Attribute	150	(1)
fetchaudio Attribute	151	(1)
Example	151	(1)
clear Element	152	(1)
namelist Attribute	152	(1)
Usage Notes	152	(1)
Loops	152	(2)
exit Element	154	(1)
expr Attribute	154	(1)
namelist Attribute	154	(1)
Example	154	(1)
disconnect Element	155	(1)
Example	155	(1)
Summary	156	(1)
VoiceXML Input and Output	157	(78)
Output Methods in VoiceXML	158	(19)
prompt Element	159	(2)
Speech Markup	161	(5)
value Element	166	(1)
Example	167	(4)
audio Element	171	(1)
Example	172	(5)
Collecting User Input	177	(34)
field Element	177	(11)
option Element	188	(8)
enumerate Element	196	(1)
menu Element	197	(3)
choice Element	200	(3)
link Element	203	(4)
grammar Element	207	(2)
dtmf Element	209	(2)
Events	211	(23)
Event Types	212	(1)
Default Catch Elements	213	(1)
catch Element	213	(9)
throw Element	222	(3)
error Element, help Element, noinput Element, and nomatch Element	225	(2)
reprompt Element	227	(4)
initial Element	231	(3)
Summary	234	(1)
Advanced VoiceXML Elements	235	(38)
record Element	236	(2)
Example	237	(1)
transfer Element	238	(2)
Example	239	(1)
script Element	240	(4)
Example	241	(3)
property Element	244	(12)
Example	246	(10)
object Element	256	(3)
Example	257	(2)
submit Element	259	(3)
Example	260	(2)
Completing the VoiceXML Portion of the Application	262	(10)
Summary	272	(1)
ECMAScript in VoiceXML	273	(18)
Comments	274	(1)
Variable Types	274	(1)
User-Defined Objects	275	(2)
Built-in Objects	277	(5)
Array Objects	277	(1)
Date Objects	278	(1)
Math Objects	279	(1)
String Object	280	(1)
Functions and the Function Object	281	(1)
Operators	282	(2)
Type Conversion	284	(1)
Controlling Program Execution	284	(5)
if/else	284	(1)
case Statements	285	(1)
Loops	286	(2)
with	288	(1)
Summary	289	(2)
Advanced Topics and Server Side Development	291	(28)
Languages	292	(1)
Generating VoiceXML	293	(18)
Java Servlets	293	(6)
PHP Scripting	299	(3)
Database Access	302	(9)
Uploading Audio Files	311	(7)
Summary	318	(1)
The Future of VoiceXML	319	(42)
Speech Synthesis Markup Language Overview	320	(1)
Speech Recognition Grammar Overview	321	(1)
Multimodal Applications	322	(5)
Multimodal Application Impact to VUI	323	(1)
Sequential Input/Output	324	(1)
Uncoordinated Simultaneous Input/Output	325	(1)
Coordinated Simultaneous Input/Output	326	(1)
Future User Interface Complexities	327	(1)
Coping with Future Complexities During Design and Development	327	(1)
The Current State of VoiceXML Multimodal Applications	328	(1)
Summary	328	(1)
Appendixes
A VoiceXML 1.0 Elements	329	(4)
B Bookstore Application	333	(26)
C VoiceXML 2.0	359	(2)
Index	361