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Branches


Branches are transfers of control inside a SmartScript that determine the display sequence of pages or questions. All movement within a script must be explicitly defined using branches. There are two types of branches in SmartScript: script branches and page branches. Script branches transfer control from a question in one page to a question in another page, while page branches transfer control from one question to any other question within a single page.

NOTE:  Page branches override script branches.

Most SmartScripts contain questions with multiple mutually exclusive answers. For example, a question may ask whether a customer is making a deposit to, rather than a withdrawal from, an IRA account. Those possibilities require different subsequent questions; therefore, you must create a separate branch for each possibility.

At other times, a SmartScript user may need to interrupt the expected flow of a script. For example, if a loan agent makes a call to offer a credit card, only to find that the target works for a competing bank, it makes no sense to continue with the standard script; the call should be ended as quickly, and as smoothly as possible by branching to the end of the script.

CAUTION:  There are no built-in safeguards to prevent your creating branches that result in closed loops of questions. Therefore, you must test all your branches to be sure that they have an exit.

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