Question

How do I Flush the Input buffer?

Asked by: taurean_aj

Hi,

I am using asterisk 1.2.25-voiceone with xlite softphone for an IVR Solution.
Making use of the Asterisk Gateway Interface(agi) and using Perl for the logic. The input buffer does not empty itself every time i try to use the get_data function to fetch the data(input) from user. At that time somehow the input buffer is full and it doesn't accept the input character which I enter when I hear the playback file.

A temporary solution to this was to create one empty sound file named tempTT and use that in get_data for playing back that file and it works when I use get_data with tempTT file for 3 to 4 times in a loop. But again, this is a random behaviour; if buffer contains something more then I  need to use tempTT file more often, may be 6 to 7 times. This is completely unacceptable solution as behaviour is randomised. Can anyone suggest me some help for this?

Wherever we get any problem of get_data not accepting input I call this function like flush();

$GetMainOption = &Dialouge1("Start_Key_Menu", "timeOut3", "1");
                &Flush();
sub Dialouge1()
{
        my($file,$timeout,$len)=@_;
        $pin = '';
        &Flush();
        $pin = $AGI->get_data("$soundFilePath/$file","$timeout","$len");
        return $pin;
}
 
sub Flush()
{
        print "EXEC PLAYBACK $soundFilePath/tempTT\n";
        my $i=0;
        while($i<3)
        {
                #$tempVar = $AGI->get_data("$soundFilePath/tempTT", "1" , "1");
                $tempVar = $AGI->get_data("$soundFilePath/tempTT", "1" , "1000000");
                $i++;
        }
        $|++;
}

                                  
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Asked On
2009-07-02 at 03:00:05ID24539044
Tags

Asterisk

,

Perl

,

AGI

Topics

Perl Programming Language

,

Asterisk Open Source Telephony

,

Voice Over IP

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: Fairlight2cxPosted on 2009-07-02 at 03:22:02ID: 24761826

Generally speaking, the proper way to handle filehandles as far as getting them to be as unbuffered, you need to set $| = 1 on the filehandle.  If it's not stdin/stdout/stderr, you must first select() the filehandle, set the autoflush state, then re-select the previously selected filehandle:

my $oldhandle = select(SOMEHANDLE);
$| = 1;
select($oldhandle);

My suspicion is that you need to alter AGI.  It sounds like whatever filehandle get_data() is using is not set to autoflush as it should be.  But it's not looking like you have access to that filehandle from the place in the code you're at--hence, changing AGI.

Further documentation on the issue may be found here:

http://perldoc.perl.org/perlfaq5.html#How-do-I-flush%2funbuffer-an-output-filehandle%3f--Why-must-I-do-this%3f

 

by: taurean_ajPosted on 2009-07-02 at 06:35:54ID: 24763135

This is the code for get_data() in the AGI. Within, there is a call to the execute() function, which further calls _execcommand() which already does this:
select ((select ($fh), $| = 1)[0]);

So it seems the get_data() already sets the enable auto flush to ON. Please let me know what exactly I would need to modify in get_data() or related functions.

sub get_data {
	my ($self, $filename, $timeout, $maxdigits) = @_;
 
	return -1 if (!defined($filename));
	return $self->execute("GET DATA $filename $timeout $maxdigits");
}
 
sub execute {
	my ($self, $command) = @_;
 
	$self->_execcommand($command);
	my $res = $self->_readresponse();
	my $ret = $self->_checkresult($res);
 
	if (defined($ret) && $ret eq '-1' && !$self->_hungup()) {
		$self->_hungup(1);
		$self->callback($ret);
	}
 
	return $ret;
}
 
sub _execcommand {
	my ($self, $command, $fh) = @_;
 
	$fh = \*STDOUT if (!$fh);
 
	select ((select ($fh), $| = 1)[0]);
 
	return -1 if (!defined($command));
 
	print STDERR "_execcommand: '$command'\n" if ($self->_debug>3);
 
	return print $fh "$command\n";
}
                                              
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by: Adam314Posted on 2009-07-06 at 08:26:35ID: 24786139

What is $AGI?  Is this an object you've created, or is it an Asterisk::AGI object?  The _execcommand is setting the autoflush on the output file handle, not the input file handle.  It appears it is the _readresponse function that reads from the input.

 

by: taurean_ajPosted on 2009-07-07 at 01:11:02ID: 24792250

Yes, $AGI is the Asterisk:: AGI Object. Attaching the AGI.pm file which contains all the above mentioned functions for your references. The readresponse also appears to flush the input buffer. Please let me know what exactly I have to modify to auto flush the input buffer.

  • AGI.txt
    • 25 KB

    AGI.pm file which contains all function references mentioned in above discussion

 

by: Fairlight2cxPosted on 2009-07-07 at 05:18:45ID: 24793467

I'll include what I'd change the part of _readresponse().  Let me know if this works.  I'm not sure why you thought it was setting STDIN to autoflush, but I'm not seeing that at all, and I've just looked it over four times.

sub _readresponse {
	my ($self, $fh) = @_;
 
	my $response = undef;
	$fh = \*STDIN if (!$fh);
##### Start modifications.
        my $oh = select($fh);
        $| = 1;
        select($oh);
##### End modifications.
	while ($response = <$fh>) {
                                              
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by: Adam314Posted on 2009-07-09 at 08:41:01ID: 24814860

The modifications can be put into a single line:

select((select($fh), $|=1)[0]);
                                              
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by: Fairlight2cxPosted on 2009-07-09 at 09:12:31ID: 24815207

They can, I just prefer the clarity of my notation.  The idea is to solve the problem, not get bogged down in stylistic semantics.  If that were the goal, I'd just refer someone to comp.lang.perl.misc and let them get roasted for punctuation and formatting instead of getting a real answer regarding functionality.  :(

Let's stay focused.

 

by: Adam314Posted on 2009-07-09 at 09:27:52ID: 24815361

I don't find the code I posted to be bogged down in stylistic semantics.  I frequently use the single line of code I posted when I want to turn off buffering for a file handle.

Whether the asker prefers a single line or several lines is up to them.  Both do the same thing, with the exception that the single line does not leave the $oh variable around.  But if it's not used anywhere else (as it isn't in this case), that makes no difference.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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