Creating a VoiceXML application

I have a few questions concerning how to create a VoiceXML application. I found some nice tutorials, but there are still some questions:

-what's a good development environment? I wanted to use VS08, there should be under C#, a project called "speech", but it doesn't appear, do I have to install the speech server local too in order to use this? (I would prefer some kind of visual workflow)

-what's the ending? is it .xml, .aspx, or .speax? I couldn't get that.

-how do I run the v开发者_StackOverflow社区oicexml? it's at the speech server as an application, any further steps?

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These questions are all over the map on the basics, but I'll try to provide some pointers:

what's a good development enviroment?

You will likely be building a web style application. So a VS08 ASP application is a reasonable starting point.

do i have to install the speech server local too in order to use this?

Yes. There are a variety of platforms that support VoiceXML. Nearly all are designed specifically for telephone calls (VoiceXML's main purpose). There are a few free implementations, but most are commercial. I believe the Opera web browser has some VoiceXML functionality. I've seen settings for it in their configuration, but no direct experience.

what's the ending? is it .xml, .aspx, or .speax ? i couldn't get that.

Endings usually aren't relevant, except maybe to tools. I don't believe VisualStudio provides any direct support for VoiceXML. Some browsers do care what mimetypes are provided.

how do i run the voicexml? it's at the speech server as an application, any furhter steps?

Does this mean you are looking at the OCS/Lync product line ? I believe their IVR in that suite does support VoiceXML as well as a few other APIs. The product should contain basic setup and configuration information. More information on Lync:

• Microsoft Lync site
• Wikipedia

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One of the main goals of VoiceXML was to decouple the rendering of the voice application (on a speech server) from the voice application itself. This allows you to serve VoiceXML pages from any web server, anywhere, using any technology stack you want.

If you just want to learn VoiceXML in general, developer sites like Voxeo's Evolution allow you to render your voice applications on their voice hosting infrastructure. You configure your developer account to point to an initial VoiceXML page served from your external web server. In return, you get a phone number to call. When you call it, the hosting infrastructure fetches your initial VoiceXML page from your web server.

(I don't know offhand if Microsoft Lync hosting services are available yet.)