Understand Prompts
This content is no longer actively maintained. It is provided as is, for anyone who may still be using these technologies, with no warranties or claims of accuracy with regard to the most recent product version or service release.
Use Speech Prompt Editor to create, record, and edit prompts, which are then stored in a database as .wav files for use by one or more speech applications.
What Prompts Do
Prompts serve a number of functions in a speech application:
- Ask the user a question. For example, "From which city do you wish to depart?"
- Greet the user. For example, "What can I do for you?"
- Provide information to the user. For example, "This flight serves dinner."
- Direct the user to take specific action. For example, "Press three on your telephone keypad."
Prompt Databases
By default, a speech application solution contains a prompt project. Each prompt project contains one or more prompt databases. A prompt database contains all the audio and data that define the application's prompts.
A voice-only application contains references to one or more prompt databases. Prompt databases contain:
- Transcriptions that contain the words to be spoken by the application.
- Audio recordings of transcription text.
- Alignment data that defines where words start and end within recorded audio.
- Extraction data that enables an application to form new sentences by mixing and matching parts of recorded audio.
Prompt Tools
Speech Prompt Editor provides an interface for creating prompts. Use Speech Prompt Editor to create and maintain every aspect of a prompt database, such as:
- Creating transcriptions.
- Recording audio data for each transcription.
- Importing, exporting, and editing audio data.
- Creating extractions.
- Tuning word alignments.
Web-based voice response applications can contain prompt functions, which contain JScript code that allows an application to generate dynamic prompts at run time. Use Prompt Function Editor to create and edit prompt functions.
Use Wave Editor to edit word boundaries and ensure that the appropriate amount of silence separates words and phrases.
Use the Prompt Validation tool to validate prompt coverage and test the sound quality of new prompts created by using extraction data.