How to break out of phonebook directory

FreePBX Tips and Tricks
1

How can a caller break out of the phonebook directory (dial by name) and get back into IVR?

Thanks!

2

from: http://www.voip-info.org/wiki-Asterisk+cmd+Directory

Program flow

* Plays directory introduction file (dir-intro) and waits upto 5 seconds for 3 digits
* Intro file says "Please enter the first three letters of the persons last name..."
* Name is the last word found in in the <name> field in the voice mailbox entry in voicemail.conf
* Plays directory instructions file (dir-instr) for instructions on how to connect to that extension.
* Also plays the "name" as recorded by the voice mailbox owner to identify the extension. If this recording does not exist, it will speak the letters of the name (bee-oh-bee-space-ess-em-aye-tee-aich)
* If more than one matching last name is found, it will allow the caller to cycle through all the matches found.
* If no matches, it repeats the introduction
* Pressing "*" will exit
* Pressing "1" will exit setting up the channel to enter the extension selected
3

Directory is the system function that you get to by pressing the # key. pbdirectory is the phonebook directory (default is 411 I think). The code for both are similar as they were at one point the same. Then directory split from pbdirectory and was improved upon use the voicemail information and to play the voicemail recording names (which don’t exist for the phonebook entries) leaving pbdirectory behind in code development and features.

so the correct info should be:

  • Plays directory introduction file (pbdirectory/welcome-to-phonebook) and waits upto 4 seconds for 3 digits
  • Plays directory instructions file (pbdirectory/first-three-letters-entry) for instructions on how to connect to that extension.
  • Instructions file says “Please enter the first three letters of the persons last name…”
  • If more than one matching last name is found, it will allow the caller to cycle through all the matches found.
  • If no matches, it repeats the instructions
  • Pressing “*” will exit
  • Pressing “0” will transfer to operator if it is defined
  • Pressing “1” will exit setting up the channel to enter the extension selected
4

I stand corrected. Did not know that this was a different function in Freepbx.

5

hehe, happens all the time.

I just happen to know the directory script real well as I made several modifications to support a multi server setup and make it transparent.

6

Phonebook directory is an AGI supplied with either FreePBX or Trixbox. Pressing *, 0, or 1 do nothing.

7

You are correct it is a agi script that comes with freepbx called pbdirectory. You can review the code and see what it does by looking in the /var/lib/asterisk/agi-bin directory, in this directory you will also find the directory code that EasyVoxBox was talking about. If you review the pbdirectory code you will see it has the code needed for *, 0 and 1 to work in it (at least all my production and test boxes do using 2.2.3, 2.3.0.1, 2.3.0.3, 2.3.1.0 and 2.3.1.1 of freepbx) as the file has not changed in quite a while.

They are defined at lines 251 and 252 in the current release of pbdirectory.

8

I see those options in there around line 251 but they don’t seem to work. Every key I push says “no directory entries match your search.” Could you please tell me how to tshoot it?

Thanks much,

Don

9

Well… I’d file a bug report as I can’t find a way to enable the operator option to kick in without customizing the code, which is Not recommended.

10

I have a customer who is asking for this option. I have version 2.8 and it still gives you two times to enter the correct information and then disconnects the call. I would like to go back to the main IVR if at all possible. The * and 0 have no affect on the module other than giving errors and disconnect. Help!

11

This is a bit off topic but since you have messed with the script some I’m hoping you can help. I implemented the directory and it works great but this is for a school and we would rather it send the caller straight to voicemail instead of ringing in the classroom. Any idea of how I can do this? Thanks

12

Goat - I need a similar feature for a school except I want it also to be time condition sensitive (go straight to VM)

I would be willing to post a bounty for this.

13