# \<gather>

**Role:** \<gather>, in simple words *collects the user response* as the user makes their choice by pressing the keys on the dial pad.

**Use:** The main use of \<gather> is to collect the digits as the user enters them from their phone. Some of the examples stating how gather can be used are :-

* *IVR –* When building an IVR for your company \<gather> collects the digits that the user enters to direct the call to correct department/individual.
* Conference – When joining a conference caller enters the “pin”. This pin is collected by \<gather> for validating the user.
* *Authentication –* Yet another way of using \<gather> for security authentication when accessing personal or secured information over phone.

While there are no limitation on where \<gather> can be used, there definitely is requirement or set of attributes to use with \<gather>. Below is a list of attributes to be used with \<gather>, each attribute has a specific function and can use certain values.

### Attributes

| <p><strong>Attribute</strong><br></p> | <p><strong>Value</strong><br></p> | <p><strong>Default</strong><br></p> |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| action                                | Callback URL                      | none                                |
| Method                                | POST/GET                          | POST                                |
| minDigits                             | 1-200                             | 1                                   |
| numDigits                             | 1-200                             | 20                                  |
| Timeout (in seconds)                  | Integer                           | 4 Seconds                           |
| Tries                                 | 1-10                              | 3                                   |
| Audiotype                             | text to speech (tts)              | none                                |
| finishOnKey                           | 0-9 ; \* ;  #                     | #                                   |

#### Here is an example of how \<gather> is used within code.

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> 
<Response>
     <Gather timeout="10" finishOnKey="*" action="handle-key.php">
         <Say>Please enter the Extension number you want to dial.</Say>
     </Gather>
 </Response>
```

Once the user enters the response. It will call <http://yourserver/handle-key.php>

```
<?php
echo "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n"; 
echo "<Response><Say>You entered ".$_REQUEST['Digits']. "</Say></Response>"; ?>
```