VoiceObjects Developers Edition FAQs
The text below covers a collection of general questions related to the VoiceObjects Developer Edition.
- What is VoiceObjects Developer Edition?
- What’s the difference between VoiceObjects Developer Edition and VoiceObjects Desktop for Web?
- What versions of Eclipse are supported?
- Can I use Developer Edition with an existing installation of Eclipse?
- Can I use Developer Edition with Bea Workshop, IBM WebSphere Studio, SAP Netweaver Developer Studio and others?
- Do I need an installation of VoiceObjects Server to work with Developer Edition?
- Can I deploy applications developed with the Developer Edition on VoiceObjects Server?
- What do I need to consider while installing a new version of the Developer Edition?
- Can VoiceObjects Desktop for Web users access applications developed with Developer Edition?
- How can I test my applications?
- What are the limitations of the Developer Edition?
- What are the system requirements for the VoiceObjects Developer Edition?
- Can I use the Developer Edition for deploying applications in production?
- What operating systems are supported for Developer Edition?
- Where can I find information on how to use Developer Edition?
- How can I disable Desktop for Eclipse in Eclipse?
- How can I request VoiceObjects Developer Support?
1. What is VoiceObjects Developer Edition?
VoiceObjects Developer Edition is a special packaging of VoiceObjects for application developers. It includes Desktop for Eclipse, an easy-to-use Eclipse-based development environment, and a runtime version of VoiceObjects Server including the entire library of media platform drivers to support your favorite IVR or USSD platform. Also included in the installation is Eclipse 3.2, Jetty Application Server, and Derby Database. The VoiceObjects Developer Edition is licensed at no cost for a single developer and up to 5 sessions or ports.
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2. What’s the difference between VoiceObjects Developer Edition and VoiceObjects Desktop for Web?
VoiceObjects Developer Edition includes VoiceObjects Desktop for Eclipse. Both Eclipse and Web interface options of VoiceObjects Desktop provide the same core functionality to create and manage phone applications based on the leading phone application server VoiceObjects Server.
Desktop for Eclipse is based on the development framework Eclipse and runs on a client machine. Desktop for Eclipse supports two operational modes. The network mode allows for team collaboration similar to Desktop for Web. The standalone mode allows developers and consultants for offline development and testing.
Desktop for Web is the Web-based interface of VoiceObjects Desktop providing a lightweight option for phone application development. Because it can be simply accessed by a Web browser Desktop for Web perfectly supports collaboration of distributed teams and developers with limited infrastructure requirements.
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3. What versions of Eclipse are supported?
Desktop for Eclipse supports Eclipse version 3.2 and higher.
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4. Can I use the Developer’s Edition with an existing installation of Eclipse?
Yes, Desktop for Eclipse can be integrated as a plug-in into existing installations of Eclipse. VoiceObjects Developer Edition includes a complete installation of the Eclipse framework.
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5. Can I use Developer’s Edition with BEA Workshop, IBM WebSphere Studio, SAP Netweaver Developer Studio and others?
Yes, the Developer Edition can also be integrated as a plug-in into commercial distributions of Eclipse, including BEA Workshop, IBM WebSphere Studio and SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio.
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6. Do I need an installation of VoiceObjects Server to work with the Developer Edition?
No, Developer Edition comes with an embedded version of VoiceObjects Server so you can be connected to any media platform to test applications end-to-end.
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7. Can I deploy applications developed with the Developer Edition on VoiceObjects Server?
Applications developed with the Developer Edition cannot be deployed directly on VoiceObjects Server, but they can be installed on a production system by an application export and import. Note that this doesn’t apply to the beta version of Developer Edition.
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8. What do I need to consider while installing a new version of the Developer Edition?
The Developer Edition uses an embedded database to store the application definitions. If this application data should be carried over, the projects should be exported before installing a new version.
To export a complete project, open the Repository Browser, right click the folder of the project version to be exported and from the context menu select Export.
Specify the export location and the export filename, and select the default export format VoiceObjectsXML. After installing the new version of Desktop for Eclipse you can import the exported projects, by using the Import function from the VoiceObjects menu.
A detailed description on how to export and import a project version can be found in the Desktop for Eclipse Guide, chapter Repository Browser / Exporting a Project Version.
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9. Can VoiceObjects Desktop for Web users access applications developed with Developer’s Edition?
No, VoiceObjects Developer Edition doesn’t support the network mode which is required for Desktop for Web application access. However, when operating a production version of Desktop for Eclipse in network mode, applications are stored in the central Metadata Repository. Using this mode, users can simultaneously work on projects by using Desktop for Eclipse and Desktop for Web.
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10. How can I test my applications?
Developer Edition provides the complete functionality to deploy applications and to operate them with any of the supported media platforms and gateways. For this, simply connect Desktop for Eclipse to a hosted or on-premise IVR platform and select the according Media Platform Driver. Further information on available hosted IVR platforms or on IVRs available for free download can be found on the VoiceObjects developer portal and in the product documentation. Additionally, functionalities like Session Debugging and Session Tracing support developers in testing applications. Use the function “Test application” to make use of the Session Debugging or Session Tracing for a complete application or single objects.
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11. What are the limitations of the Developer Edition?
With the exception of the network mode, there is no limitation in terms of functionality or in the time the product can be used. In standalone mode, applications are not stored in a central Metadata Repository. Furthermore, Developer Edition is limited to four concurrent dialog sessions.
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12. What are the system requirements for VoiceObjects Developer Edition?
The system requirements for the VoiceObjects Developer Edition are as follows:
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, & Vista
- Eclipse: Eclipse version 3.2 or higher
- Minimum hardware: 1GB RAM, Intel Pentium 3 1GHz or comparable
- Recommended hardware: 2GB RAM, Intel Pentium 4 2GHz or comparable
- Recommended minimum resolution: 1280 x 1024 pixels
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13. Can I use the Developer Edition for deploying applications in production?
No. The requirements for securely deploying applications can only be met by an installation of VoiceObjects Server. Operating Developer Edition as server for a production system is neither supported by the product and nor allowed by the license terms. However, applications developed with the Developer Edition can be exported and deployed on a production system of VoiceObjects Server.
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14. What operating systems are supported for Developer Edition?
Developer Edition is supported for Windows 2000, XP and Vista only. Support for Linux and other operating systems is planned for future versions.
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15. Where can I find information on how to use Desktop for Eclipse?
Desktop for Eclipse comes with a set of comprehensive product manuals available as online help and in PDF-format. To get a quick understanding on how to use Desktop for Eclipse, a quick start guide (Getting Started with Desktop for Eclipse) and a Tutorial are provided. Further information can be found in the Desktop for Eclipse Guide and the Object Reference.
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16. How can I disable Desktop for Eclipse in Eclipse?
The Desktop for Eclipse plug-in can be disabled by closing the VoiceObjects perspective in Eclipse and restarting Eclipse.
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17. How can I request VoiceObjects Developer Support?
Members of the VoiceObjects developer program can obtain technical support by email. If you need support beyond the above FAQ and Getting Started Guides, please open a ticket here. If you have any additional questions or comments send email to VoiceObjects Technical Support at
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