Asterisk REST - Playing Multiple files one API

Asterisk Asterisk APIs
1

I’m working on an IVR system and wondering how to play multiple audio files in sequence, based on a provided list—while also allowing termination on specific digit input.

For example, I want to play the following menu:

  • {for} {sales} {press} {1}
  • {for} {account} {press} {2}
  • {for} {tech support} {press} {3}

Ideally, I’d like to call a single API that accepts:

  • A list of media files to be played in order, and
  • A set of acceptable DTMF digits (e.g., 1, 2, 3).

While the audio is playing, if a valid digit is pressed, playback should stop immediately, and I should be able to detect which digit was pressed.

Currently, I have to:

  • Call the API separately for each menu chunk,
  • Monitor for digit input after each call, and
  • Manually stop the playback when a digit is detected.

This approach works, but it feels inefficient. I’m looking for a better way to handle this flow using a single API call, if possible.

Any ideas or suggestions?

2

The playback API allows specifying a comma separated list of sounds[1] so there is no need for separate API calls for each.

There is no capability in ARI to do this.

[1] Channels - Asterisk Documentation

3

Is there a good reason to use ARI? This is easy to do in dialplan, using Background() and WaitExten.

4

its works :slight_smile: Thanks.

5

I have some complex logic to handle.

Why? Isn’t the API good enough? Do you have some doubts?

6

ARI is a low level API, so, for things that are easy in the dialplan, you may need many steps.

7

The ExternalIVR dialplan command is supposed to offer something like this. But from my experience, its queuing doesn’t work right.

I have a working example that copes with the quirks in the ivr_dtmf_demo example script in my Seaskirt Examples repo.

8

There is a repository that uses the ARI and includes an example of using playback with DTMF tones: node-ari-client/examples/playback.js at master · asterisk/node-ari-client · GitHub