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Dialplan Programming Constructs

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In Asterisk, functions or programs can be implemented either externally, through an Asterisk Gateway Interface (AGI) script (in much the same way that a Common Gateway Interface [CGI] script can add functionality to a web page) or internally, through functions and applications in the dialplan.

The dialplan is defined in the extensions.conf configuration file. The dialplan itself looks much some archic language created in 1950th and look somewhat like Fortran II program. The administrator can implement features and call flow using a simple scripting language.

Dialplan Program Structure

Each telephone number defined in the Asterisk dialplan (/etc/asterisk/extensions.conf) is really a small subroutine. In Asterisk it is called an extension. For example:

exten => 1001,1,Answer()
exten => 1001,n,Playback(hello-world)
exten => 1001,n,Hangup()

Priorities may also be numbered sequentially but this an old style:

exten => 1001,1,Answer()
exten => 1001,2,Playback(hello-world)
exten => 1001,3,Hangup()

The two subroutines above are functionally identical. If you use n, however, it makes adding and deleting entries in the extension much easier later on.

Variables assignment using Set()

Use the application Set() to create and change variables:

exten => 1002,1,Set(Favoriteanimal = "Tiger")
exten => 1002,n,Set(Favoritenumber = 23)

Use the syntax ${VARIABLENAME} to read and print variables. You can print variable values on the CLI with NoOp() (with verbosity level 3 and up):

exten => 1003,1,NoOp(${Favoriteanimal})
exten => 1003,n,NoOp(${Favoritenumber})

There are different kinds of variables:

Using Expressions in Assiingments

Expressions are combinations of variables, operators, and values that you string together to produce a result. An expression can test values, alter strings, or perform mathematical calculations. Let's say we have a variable called COUNT. In plain English, two expressions using that variable might be "COUNT plus 1" and "COUNT divided by 2." Each of these expressions has a particular result or value, depending on the value of the given variable.

In Asterisk, expressions always begin with a dollar sign and an opening square bracket and end with a closing square bracket, as shown here:

$[expression]

Thus, we would write the above two examples like this:

$[${COUNT} + 1]
$[${COUNT} / 2] 

When Asterisk encounters an expression in a dialplan, it replaces the entire expression with the resulting value. It is important to note that this takes place after variable substitution.

exten => 321,1,Set(COUNT=3)
exten => 321,n,Set(NEWCOUNT=$[${COUNT} + 1])
exten => 321,n,SayNumber(${NEWCOUNT})

In the first priority, we assign the value of 3 to the variable named COUNT.

In the second priority, only one application—Set()—is involved, but three things actually happen:

  1. Asterisk substitutes ${COUNT} with the number 3 in the expression. The expression effectively becomes this:

    exten => 321,n,Set(NEWCOUNT=$[3 + 1])

  2. Asterisk evaluates the expression, adding 1 to 3, and replaces it with its computed value of 4:

    exten => 321,n,Set(NEWCOUNT=4)

  3. The value 4 is assigned to the NEWCOUNT variable by the Set() application.

The third priority simply invokes the SayNumber() application, which speaks the current value of the variable ${NEWCOUNT} (set to the value 4 in priority two).

Try it out in your own dialplan.

Boolean operators

These operators evaluate the "truth" of a statement. In computing terms, that essentially refers to whether the statement is something or nothing (nonzero or zero, true or false, on or off, and so on). The Boolean operators are:


expr1 | expr2

This operator (called the "or" operator, or "pipe") returns the evaluation of expr1 if it is true (neither an empty string nor zero). Otherwise, it returns the evaluation of expr2.


expr1 & expr2

This operator (called "and") returns the evaluation of expr1 if both expressions are true (i.e., neither expression evaluates to an empty string or zero). Otherwise, it returns zero.


expr1 {=, >, >=, <, <=, !=} expr2

These operators return the results of an integer comparison if both arguments are integers; otherwise, they return the results of a string comparison. The result of each comparison is 1 if the specified relation is true, or 0 if the relation is false. (If you are doing string comparisons, they will be done in a manner that's consistent with the current local settings of your operating system.)


Mathematical operators

Want to perform a calculation? You'll want one of these:


expr1 {+, -} expr2

These operators return the results of the addition or subtraction of integer-valued arguments.


expr1 {*, /, %} expr2

These return, respectively, the results of the multiplication, integer division, or remainder of integer-valued arguments.


Regular expression operator

You can also use the regular expression operator in Asterisk:


expr1 : expr2

This operator matches expr1 against expr2, where expr2 must be a regular expression.[] The regular expression is anchored to the beginning of the string with an implicit ^.[]

[] For more on regular expressions, grab a copy of the ultimate reference, Jeffrey E.F. Friedl's Mastering Regular Expressions (O'Reilly) or visit (http://www.regular-expressions.info).

[] If you don't know what a ^ has to do with regular expressions, you simply must obtain a copy of Mastering Regular Expressions. It will change your life!

If the match succeeds and the pattern contains at least one regular expression subexpression—\( ... \)—the string corresponding to \1 is returned; otherwise, the matching operator returns the number of characters matched. If the match fails and the pattern contains a regular expression subexpression, the null string is returned; otherwise, 0 is returned.

In Asterisk version 1.0 the parser was quite simple, so it required that you put at least one space between the operator and any other values. Consequently, the following might not have worked as expected:

exten => 123,1,Set(TEST=$[2+1])

This would have assigned the variable TEST to the string "2+1", instead of the value 3. In order to remedy that, we would put spaces around the operator like so:

exten => 234,1,Set(TEST=$[2 + 1])

This is no longer necessary in Asterisk 1.2 or 1.4 as the expression parser has been made more forgiving in these types of scenarios, however, for readability's sake, we still recommend the spaces around your operators.

To concatenate text onto the beginning or end of a variable, simply place them together in an expression, like this:

exten => 234,1,Set(NEWTEST=$[blah${TEST}])

Labels and Goto()

Goto() lets you jump from one dialplan entry to another. If you are using n priorities, this can be problematic. The solution is to use labels to tag specific entries and then call the entry by label in Goto().

You can use Goto() within an extension, between extensions, or between contexts.

While() Loops

Loops let you perform operations repeatedly, which is useful for reading out sequences. Use While() to run loops in the dialplan:

exten => 1013,1,Answer()
exten => 1013,n,Set(i=1)
exten => 1013,n,While($[${i} < 10])
exten => 1013,n,SayNumber(${i})
exten => 1013,n,Wait(1)
exten => 1013,n,Set(i=$[${i} + 1])
exten => 1013,n,EndWhile()
exten => 1013,n,Hangup()

GotoIf() Conditional

The key to conditional branching is the GotoIf() application. GotoIf() evaluates an expression and sends the caller to a specific destination based on whether the expression evaluates to true or false.

GotoIf() uses a special syntax, often called the conditional syntax:

GotoIf(expression?destination1:destination2)

If the expression evaluates to true, the caller is sent to destination1. If the expression evaluates to false, the caller is sent to the second destination. So, what is true and what is false? An empty string and the number 0 evaluate as false. Anything else evaluates as true.

The destinations can each be one of the following:

Either of the destinations may be omitted, but not both. If the omitted destination is to be followed, Asterisk simply goes on to the next priority in the current extension.

Let's use GotoIf() in an example:

exten => 345,1,Set(TEST=1)
exten => 345,n,GotoIf($[${TEST} = 1]?weasels:iguanas)
exten => 345,n(weasels),Playback(weasels-eaten-phonesys)
exten => 345,n,Hangup()
exten => 345,n(iguanas),Playback(office-iguanas)
exten => 345,n,Hangup()

You can jump to other parts of the dialplan, if a specific condition is met, with GotoIf():

exten => 1014,1,Answer()
exten => 1014,n,Set(Favoritestation = 0815)
exten => 1014,n,NoOp(Check to see if ${Favoritestation} is calling.)
exten => 1014,n,GotoIf($[${CALLERID(num) = ${Favoritestation}]?yes,no)

exten => 1014,n(yes),Playback(hello-world)
exten => 1014,n,Hangup()

exten => 1014,n(no),Playback(tt-monkeys)
exten => 1014,n,Hangup()

Gosub() Subroutines

With Gosub(), the call is directed to a subroutine; it can be returned to the initiating priority with Return():

exten => 1015,1,Gosub(cid-set)
exten => 1015,n,Dial(SIP/${EXTEN})

exten => 1015,n(cid-set),Set(CALLERID(all)=Widgets Inc <8005551212>)
exten => 1015,n,Return()

Recommended Links


Visual Dialplan Tutorials and Dialplan examples

Dial plan examples

Dial plan code snippets



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Last modified: March 12, 2019