08/05/2006 - 1.1 Snapshot 005

This snapshot version refactors the SCXML dialog management strategy to use Commons SCXML.

Fixes:

• Replaced the origial RDC SCXML engine with the more generic Commons SCXML engine.

11/12/2005 - 1.1 Snapshot 004

This snapshot version primarily adds subdialog support to atomic RDCs.

Additions:

• Added subdialog support to all atomic RDCs.

Fixes:

• Enhanced rdc:select1 functionality when option elements are constructed programmatically.
• Improved rdc:template documentation for grammar attribute.

10/13/2005 - 1.1 Snapshot 003

This snapshot version contains some minor fixes and one deprecation.

Fixes:

• Corrected documentation to reflect deployment procedure on JSP 2.0 containers, and updated dependencies information.
• Better error message if configuration file is not found (Bugzilla issue # 36168).
• Better error messages and classloading for strategy attribute of <rdc:group> tag.

Deprecation:

• Deprecated DialogManager#confirm() - This behavior will be deprecated from the next minor version (RDC 1.1), and will be removed in the next major version (2.0) of the RDC tag library. A container should not take on the responsibility to confirm for its children, since it does not attempt to decipher the meaning of their public data models, and hence, cannot produce meaningful prompts without significant configuration. Confirmation is best handled by components.

08/10/2005 - 1.1 Snapshot 002

This snapshot version mainly adds components contributed by users.

New RDC Tags:

• <rdc:color> - An atomic component that prompts the user for a color. Contributed by Mitch Warner (Bugzilla issue # 35024). A demonstrative example in rdc-examples.war is:
  
  • color-test.jsp
• <rdc:dateRange> - A composite that collects a two-date tuple, ensuring the second date is after the first. Contributed by Elam Birnbaum (Bugzilla issue # 35490). A demonstrative example in rdc-examples.war is:
  
  • dateRange-test.jsp

Enhancements:

08/09/2005 - 1.1 Snapshot 001

This snapshot version primarily focuses on documentation and ease of use in tooling.

Documentation:

• Documentation files have been revised as needed, adding attributes for newer features such as graceful exits.
• The tag library table of contents has been re-arranged alphabetically.
• Few tag and documentation file names have been changed to offer a predictable code-base for tooling.

07/29/2005 - Post 1.0 Development

This version adds an alpha implementation of a SCXML (State Chart XML) engine. An alpha version of a SCXML dialog management strategy for the group container is also provided.

Additions:

• SCXML Engine - The W3C Voice Browser Working Group recently announced the publication of the first Working Draft of State Chart XML. SCXML provides a generic state-machine based execution environment based on CCXML and Harel State Tables. The SCXML WD is here. The RDC tag library has included an alpha of a SCXML engine implementation.
  The SCXML engine implementation is under development. The major items that are yet unimplemented are:
  • Multiple (simultaneous) targets for a single transition (Section 3.3.1)
  • Outgoing transitions from a parallel (Section 3.4)
  • JOIN (Section 4.3)
  • SYNCH (Section 4.4)
• SCXML Dialog Management Strategy - An alpha version of a dialog management strategy for the group container that works off of a SCXML configuration document is also provided. A demonstrative example in rdc-examples.war is:
  
  • scxml-dialog-test.jsp

07/20/2005 - 1.0

The RDC tag library has graduated out of sandbox with a 1.0 release.

06/12/2005 - Beta 1.3

This version adds some new components and subdialog support.

Additions:

• New components - New RDCs have been added to support payment capture capabilities. These include RDCs to collect credit card numbers, expiry dates, and bill amounts, plus a composite to collect multiple pieces of credit card related information.
  Example in rdc-examples.war is:
  
  • creditcardAmount-test.jsp
  • creditcardNumber-test.jsp
  • creditcardExpiry-test.jsp
  • creditcardInfo-test.jsp
• Calling an RDC as a subdialog - JSPs hosting a RDC component can now be called as VoiceXML subdialogs. Currently support available for composites in distribution.
  Example in rdc-examples.war is:
  
  • subdialog-test/parent.jsp
  • subdialog-test/subdialog.jsp

New RDC Tags:

• <rdc:creditcardAmount> - Retrieves a currency value augmented by grammars for minimum amount due, full balance etc.
• <rdc:creditcardExpiry> - RDC with grammars geared towards collecting credit card expiry dates i.e. (month, year) tuples.
• <rdc:creditcardNumber> - RDC with grammars geared towards collecting credit card numbers.
• <rdc:creditcardInfo> - A composite RDC, allowing collection of (credit card type, number, expiry, security code) tuples; and flexibly any combination thereof using a mode switch.

05/25/2005 - Beta 1.2

This version primarily added i18n support.

Additions:

• Internationalization - RDCs have been i18n'zed. Grammars and default configuration files are read out of property files. Locales can be set per RDC-based web application, and overridden by individual RDCs as needed.
  Example in rdc-examples.war is:
  
  • i18n-test.jsp

Modified RDC Tags:

• All "component" tags - New attribute locale added to all component tags.

05/04/2005 - Beta 1.1

This is a new features version.

Additions:

• RDC Filter - Lightweight mechanism for (a) Improving aesthetics of VoiceXML output and (b) Performing platform adaptations to account for markup variations.
  
• Graceful exit strategies - It is possible to define a maximum number of <noinput> and <nomatch> events after which the RDC will gracefully exit with the appropriate exit status.
  

Issues addressed:

• Initial Grammar - The initial grammar is now an external resource.
  

03/08/2005 - Beta 1.0

This is a new features and sample apps version.

Major Additions:

• Defining Custom Event tuples - It is possible to leverage the VoiceXML support for user defined event (name, grammar, handler) tuples. These tuples are added to the RDC config file.
  
• Dialog Context Switching - A recipe for switching dialog contexts using the RDC framework i.e. having the ability to leave a task undone, initiate and complete another task and then come back to the earlier one, has been demonstrated.
  Example in rdc-examples.war is login.jsp of the mortgage application. The following steps were taken:
  
  • A custom "pause" event was defined on the digits components (via their config files, as mentioned above)
  • A pause.jsp handler was authored (simple JSP hosting <rdc:pause>)
  • The "clearlist" attribute of <rdc:struts-submit> was used with appropriate values
• Multi-channel amazon application - This sample application uses the Amazon Web Services to provide users with a Small Device GUI -or- Voice User Interface for browsing through and buying music albums. See revision history for Pre Beta 1.1 and Pre Beta 1.2
  
• More documentation in rdc-doc.war

New RDC Tags:

• <rdc:pause> - Pauses until the user resumes the application.

Modified RDC Tags:

• <rdc:struts-submit> - Added the ability to selectively clear some or all of the RDC session state.

02/25/2005 - Pre Beta 1.2

Added GUI channel to Music Store sample application.

Additions:

• Added GUI channel to Music Store sample application. With the existing RDC based voice channel for the Music Store sample application from Pre Beta 1.1, this illustrates how multi-channel applications can be authored, leveraging the RDC tag library for the speech channel. One of the significant benefits of authoring speech applications using RDCs is the potential reuse of the higher layers of the application framework across channels. Application uses the Amazon Web Services to provide users with a Graphical -or- Voice User Interface for browsing through and buying music albums. Get your own AWS subscription ID and try it out! View README in rdc-examples.war

02/12/2005 - Pre Beta 1.1

Added a RDC based Music Store sample application and meta-data files for the components.

Additions:

• Added RDC based Music Store sample application. Application uses the Amazon Web Services to provide users with a Voice User Interface for browsing through and buying music albums. Get your own AWS subscription ID and try it out! View README in rdc-examples.war
• Added meta-data files for all components in distribution. These files have an rdc extension and are for tooling consumption.

01/24/2005 - Pre Beta 1.0

This is a new features version. There have been a multitude of code enhancements.

Major Changes Since Initial Version:

• Rule based directed dialog strategy for rule based dialog management using the <rdc:group> container. Illustrates the benefits of having the ability to plug in dialog management strategies at the group level.
  Examples in rdc-examples.war are:
  
  • rulebased-conditions.jsp
  • rulebased-nested.jsp
• RDC template - A mechanism for rapid prototyping of components in the RDC framework.
  Example in rdc-examples.war is:
  
  • simple-template-test.jsp
• Better formalism for authoring components
• More documentation in rdc-doc.war

New RDC Tags:

• <rdc:struts-errors> - Plays out any errors messages from the preceding struts action
• <rdc:template> - As mentioned above
• <rdc:number> - RDC used to collect a number

09/10/2004 - Development

Initial version of the RDC tag library. The RDC tag library is in development, changes are fast and furious.