What is a Slot? It is a grammatical term describing a hollow place at the base of the throat, above the breastbone. The term slot is of uncertain origin, but is thought to be derived from Old French esclot, a form of the same word. An Old Norse equivalent, slod, is also a variant of the word. This meaning first appears in the 1520s, while the usage of slot machine dates from 1888.
A slot is not a component, but is a type of component that can be nested inside of another component. Unlike a normal component, slots can encompass the “outside” portion of a pattern and allow other HTML and components to be placed inside of them. This allows a component to define a pattern without being duplicated in another component. It’s the same concept as a button, but the difference lies in the naming.
A slot is a prime spot for a defenseman to take a shot. A defender can take a blistering slap shot into the net, while a center or winger can put his stick out in front of the goalie and redirect the shot. This type of shot is often a slap shot, and goaltenders must be extremely quick to react to it. A well-placed one-timer from the high slot is one of the most coveted shots in the game.
The Dialog Engine can map different types of information to slots based on a user’s intent. Each slot type is assigned to a specific type, which defines what it will look for in an utterance. By mapping the utterances to a particular type, the system can determine which words and phrases match which slots. Then, when the user’s intent is satisfied, the dialog engine will be able to interpret the information.