Cisco Cisco Customer Voice Portal 8.0(1) Developer's Guide

The base class also includes various methods used to define the element’s configuration. These
methods define everything from the element’s name to its possible exit states. These methods
are essential for Builder for Call Studio to visually render the element and its configuration
correctly. Custom elements will be indistinguishable from Unified CVP Elements within the
Builder. The developer can choose as simple or complex a configuration as desired (or even no
configuration at all, though it wouldn’t be very reusable).

Note: Element data generated by an element will be overwritten if that same element is visited
again in the call flow. For example, a variable set by a voice element handling the main menu
of an application will be reset the next time the main menu is visited. The activity log, however,
is a historical account of the call, so would have all values of the element data. Should the
developer wish to retain all data created by all visits to the element, they must build that into
the element, such as creating new variables or appending the new value to an existing variable.

Common Methods

The methods listed below are defined in 

 and are common to all configurable

elements no matter what type. All custom Unified CVP classes used by these methods are
defined in the 

 package. Refer to the Javadocs for more

in depth explanations of these methods and the classes they utilize.

•

This method returns the display name for the element. This is the name displayed in the
Element Pane of Builder for Call Studio. There are no restricted characters for the display
name, though best practices recommend a short name that avoids spaces and punctuation.

•

This method returns the description of the element. The Builder displays this information in
a tool tip when the cursor is placed above the element’s icon in the Element Pane. There is
no restriction on the size or contents of the description.

•

This method returns the name of the folder in the Builder Element Pane in which the element
resides. If 

 is returned, the element appears directly under the Elements folder (currently,

only the Audio voice element appears directly under the Elements folder). To support a
hierarchy of folders, the folder name can include a full path and the folder tree will
automatically be generated by the Builder (that is, MyElements/Financial/Banking/ would
put the element icon inside three levels of folders). Best practices recommends short folder
names that avoid spaces and punctuation.

•

This method defines the exit states this element can return. It is necessary in order for the
Builder to properly render the exit state dropdown menu when the element is right-clicked.
The method returns an array of 

 classes. The 

 class encapsulates the

real and display name for an exit state. The display name is used only by the Builder and the
real name is used everywhere else (within code or XML decisions).

Programming Guide for Cisco Unified CVP VXML Server and Cisco Unified Call Studio Release 8.0(1)