Built-in field types and grammars

The built-in field types and grammars for Canadian French are listed here.

Table 1. Canadian French built-in types. Brackets “[]” around a keyword mean that the keyword is optional. The vertical-bar symbol “|” indicates a choice between two or more keywords.
Element Implementation details
boolean Users can say positive responses such as oui, oui oui, ok, tout à fait, oui bien sûr, d'accord, vrai, affirmatif, oui c'est ça, juste, and c'est juste, or negative responses such as non, non non, faux, négatif, pas du tout, and pas question. Variations on “oui” (ouais) may also be used.

Users can also provide DTMF input 1 is yes, and 2 is no.

Note: The IBM TTS engine is unable to synthesize the return value for this language.
currency Users can say currency values as a combination of a dollar component, such as “vingt-sept dollars” and a cent component, such as “cinquante cents.”

Users can also say one of these components without the other. If both components are present, they can be either not separated (as in “vingt dollars soixante-dix”), or separated by the word “et” (as in “trente dollars et quarante cents”).

A dollar component may be in any of the formats: “zéro dollar,” “1 dollar,” “m dollars” (where 2 <= m <= 999,999,999), and “m” (where 1 <= m <= 999,999,999).

A cent component may be in any of the formats: “zéro cent” and “n cent” (where 1 <= n <= 99).

If both components are present, the cent component can also have the format “m” (where 0 <= n <= 99).

Note that if users just say an integer value “m” (where 1 <= m <= 999,999,999), this will be interpreted as a number of dollars.

Note also that users can also speak two numerical values, where the first is between 0 and 999,999,999 and the second is between 0 and 99. This will be interpreted as a number of dollars followed by a number of cents. Also, “euro,” “euros,” “cent,” and “cents” may be used as currency types in place of “dollar,” “dollars, ” “cent,” and “cents” in the above description. Similarly, “dollar US,” “dollars US,” “cent,” and “cents” may be used. Note that both “euro” and “euros” can be used as the plural of “euro.”

Users can also provide DTMF input using the numbers 0 through 9 and optionally the * key (to indicate a decimal point), and must terminate DTMF entry using the # key.

The return value sent is a string in the format UUUddddddddd.cc where UUU is a currency indicator (CAD, EUR, USD).

Note: The IBM TTS engine is unable to synthesize the return value for this language.
date Users can say a date using days, months and years, as well as the words hier, aujourd'hui, and demain. The year must be between 1900 and 2099.

Users can also specify the year as a 4-digit year, such as “en deux mille deux” (2002) or a 2-digit year (such as “cinquante-cinq”). A 2-digit year will be interpreted as being between 1911 and 2010.

Users can also say the day and month without specifying a year. This will be interpreted as a date in the current year.

The “days” component can be a spoken as a number (between 1 and 31) or the ordinal number “premier” as alternative for the first day of the month. The “months” component is either the name of a month or a number between 1 and 12 that specifies the month. When their value is less or equal to 9, both “days” and “months” (in numeric form) can optionally be preceded by “0” (pronounced zéro).

Most of the dates users can say can be spoken in the form: “[le] d mars deux mille un” (where d represents an integer number of days 1<=d<=31). For example: “trois mars deux mille un” (March 3, 2001).

If users say only a month or a month and a year, the following alternatives apply:

  • When the name of the month begins with a consonant, as in janvier, février, mars, mai, juin, juillet, septembre, novembre, and décembre, the date can be spoken according to the scheme “[en | au mois de] mars deux mille un.” For example: “en mars deux mille un” (March 2001).
  • When the month name begins with a vowel as in avril, août, and octobre, the scheme is “[en | au mois d'] avril deux mille un.” For example “au mois d'avril deux mille un” (April 2001).
  • The “months” component can be spoken as a number m ( such as 1<=m<=12) according to the following construct “[le] d m deux mille un,” where 1<=d<=31. For example, “dix octobre deux mille un” (October 10, 2001).

Any of these constructs can be optionally preceded by the day of the week and its proper optional article ([le] lundi, [le] mardi, [le] mercredi, [le] jeudi, [le] vendredi, [le] samedi, [le] dimanche), such as “jeudi trois mars deux mille un” (Thursday, March 3, 2001). However, the day and its article will be ignored. Thus, the specified date will be accepted whether it falls on the specified day.

Users can also provide DTMF input in the form yyyymmdd.
Note: The date grammar does not perform leap year calculations. February 29 is accepted as a valid date regardless of the year. If desired, your application or servlet can perform the required calculations.

The return value sent is a string in the format yyyymmdd, with the VoiceXML browser returning a ? in any positions omitted in spoken input.

Note: The IBM TTS engine is unable to synthesize the return value for this language.
digits Users can say non-negative integer values as strings of individual digits (0 through 9). For example, a user could say “123456” as “un deux trois quatre cinq six.”

Users can say “zéro,” “un,” “deux,” “trois,” “quatre,” “cinq,” “six,” “sept,” “huit,” and “neuf.”

Users can also provide DTMF input using the numbers 0 through 9, and must terminate DTMF entry using the # key.

The return value sent is a string of one or more digits. If the result is subsequently used in <say-as> with the interpret-as value vxml:digits, it will be spoken as a sequence of digits appropriate to the current language. For example, the TTS engine speaks “123456” as “un deux trois quatre cinq six.”

number Users can say natural numbers (that is, positive and negative integers, 0, and decimals) from 0 to 999,999,999.9999. Users can say the words point and virgule to indicate a decimal point, plus to indicate a positive number, and moins to indicate a negative number.

Users can also provide DTMF input using the numbers 0 through 9 and optionally the * key (to indicate a comma), and must terminate DTMF entry using the # key. Only positive numbers can be entered using DTMF.

The return value sent is a string of one or more digits, 0 through 9 , with a decimal point and a - sign as applicable.

Note: The IBM TTS engine is unable to synthesize the return value for this language.
phone Users can say a telephone number, including the optional word extension or poste followed by extra numbers or digits.

A phone number is composed of seven digits. The first three digits are uttered each in turn and the remaining ones are uttered digit by digit or double digits by double digits. For example, “714-3274” can be said as either “sept un quatre trois deux sept quatre” or “sept un quatre trente-deux soixante-quatorze.”

Users can also say an area code before a phone number either digit by digit or as a number. For example, “(866) 714-3274” can be said as either “huit six six sept un quatre trois deux sept quatre” or “huit cent soixante-six sept un quatre trente-deux soixante-quatorze.”

Users can also say a set of four digits before a phone number; this identifies a toll-free number. For example, “1 800 714-3274” can be said as either “un huit zéro zéro sept un quatre trois deux sept quatre” or “un huit cents sept un quatre trois deux sept quatre.”

Both national and international numbers can be given with an extension, which is replaced in the value field of the grammar with x. For example, a national phone number with an extension can be said either as “514 911 11 99 extension 33 53 32” or as “514 911 11 99 poste 33 53 32.”

Users can also provide DTMF input using the numbers 0 through 9 and optionally the * key (to represent the word “extension”), and must terminate DTMF entry using the # key.

The return value sent is a string of digits which includes an x if an extension was specified. The area code, if provided, is surrounded by brackets, and a dash is included after the third digit of the phone number. However, the IBM TTS engine is unable to synthesize the return value for this language.

Note: For tips on minimizing recognition errors that are due to user pauses during input, see Using the built-in phone grammar.
time Users can say a time of day using hours and minutes in either 12- or 24-hour format, as well as the word maintenant.

Times in 12-hour format can be stated in any of the following formats:

n heures [et] m [minutes]
le matin à n heures [et] m [minutes]
l'après-midi à n heures [et] m [minutes]
le soir à n heures [et] m [minutes]
n heures [et] m [minutes] du matin
n heures [et] m [minutes] de l'après-midi
n heures [et] m [minutes] du soir
n heures et quart
n heures moins quart
n heures moins m [minutes]
n heures [et demi | trente]
midi et quart
midi moins quart
midi et demie
minuit et quart
minuit moins quart
minuit et demie
where 1 <= m <= 59 and 0 <= n <= 12

Times in 24-hour format can be stated in the following formats : n heures [et] m [minutes] du matin where 1 <= m <= 59 and 0 <= n <= 23

Users can precede any of these times with “vers,” “il est,” “il est exactement,” “à partir de,” “avant,” or “après.” This will be ignored, and the exact time will be accepted.

Users can optionally follow any of these times with “précises” or “précisément.”

Users can also provide DTMF input using the numbers 0 through 9.

The return value sent is a string in the format hhmmx, where x is a for a.m., p for p.m., h for 24 hour format or ? if unspecified or ambiguous. For DTMF input, the return value will always be h or ?, since there is no mechanism for specifying a.m. or p.m.

Note: The IBM TTS engine is unable to synthesize the return value for this language.