POST request not working in Django IVR made using Plivo

Question

I am making an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system.I am using Plivo to make IVR. I have followed this Sample app which is written in Python Flask. Here is the link to make the sample app.

https://www.plivo.com/docs/getting-started/phone-menu-app/

and here is the repository and a view method named ivr() in python flask https://github.com/Chitrank-Dixit/phone-ivr-python/blob/master/app.py#L23

you can also view the code

@app.route('/response/ivr/', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
def ivr():
    response = plivoxml.Response()
    if request.method == 'GET':
        # GetDigit XML Docs - http://plivo.com/docs/xml/getdigits/
        getdigits_action_url = url_for('ivr', _external=True)
        getDigits = plivoxml.GetDigits(action=getdigits_action_url,
                                       method='POST', timeout=7, numDigits=1,
                                       retries=1)

        getDigits.addSpeak(IVR_MESSAGE)
        response.add(getDigits)
        response.addSpeak(NO_INPUT_MESSAGE)

        return Response(str(response), mimetype='text/xml')

    elif request.method == 'POST':
        digit = request.form.get('Digits')

        if digit == "1":
            # Fetch a random joke using the Reddit API.
            joke = joke_from_reddit()
            response.addSpeak(joke)
        elif digit == "2":
            # Listen to a song
            response.addPlay(PLIVO_SONG)
        else:
            response.addSpeak(WRONG_INPUT_MESSAGE)

        return Response(str(response), mimetype='text/xml')

I just need the same behavior in my Django IVR. I am just implementing everything in Python Django. Here is the link to the repository and the above ivr() method renamed to ivr_sample() implemented in Python Django.

https://github.com/Chitrank-Dixit/phone-ivr-python/blob/master/app.py#L23

here is the code

@csrf_protect   
def ivr_sample(request):
    context = {
        "working": "yes"
    }
    response = plivoxml.Response()
    print type(request.method) , request.POST.get('Digits')
    if request.method == 'GET':
        print request.get_host(), request.build_absolute_uri()
        getdigits_action_url = request.build_absolute_uri()
        getDigits = plivoxml.GetDigits(action=getdigits_action_url, method='POST', timeout=7, numDigits=1, retries=1)
        getDigits.addSpeak("Welcome to Sample IVR, Press 0 for sales , Press 1 for support")
        response.add(getDigits)
        response.addSpeak("Sorry No Input has been received")
        return HttpResponse(response, content_type="text/xml")

    elif request.method == 'POST':
        digit = request.POST.get('Digits')


        if (digit == "0" or digit == 0):
            response.addSpeak("Hello Welcome to Sample , I am a Sales Guy")
        elif (digit == "1" or digit == 1):
            response.addSpeak("Hello Welcome to Sample , I am a Support Guy")
        else:
            response.addSpeak("Wrong Input Received")

        return HttpResponse(response, content_type="text/xml")

I am able to listen the GET requests on my phone But when I type 0 or 1 so that I can listen the desired message. The phone Hangs and then the connection gets closed. This means the ivr_sample() method is accepting the GET responses but it is not running the POST responses in my case. The Flask based application is working fine with no issues.

So I thought that Django needs CSRF protection in forms. So I used csrf decorator as specified on django documentation. here is the link: https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.8/ref/csrf/

But Still the IVR is not working.

The worst thing is we can not test things locally. So I have to make correction and test it online. If anyone used before plivo to make IVRs in Python Django. Please let me know where I am wrong.

Answer 1

well this was just a small fix I figured out after trying all the csrf decorators. In the view named ivr_sample. At place of @csrf_protect I just need to use @csrf_exempt. Now everything is working perfectly.