How do I get question names using the REST API?

MattStayner

I would like to get the question names for a Survey123 form using the REST API. What is the best way to do that?

I found the following endpoint, which gets me close:

https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/[item_number]/info/[form_name].webform

In the return object from the above endpoint I get a key-value pair where the key is "model" and the "value" is shown below. It looks like XML, but there is a "\n" on every line that is making it difficult for us to process.

<Form_3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
xmlns:esri=\"http://esri.com/xforms\"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
xmlns:jr=\"http://openrosa.org/javarosa\"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
xmlns:odk=\"http://www.opendatakit.org/xforms\"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
xmlns:orx=\"http://openrosa.org/xforms\" id=\"Form_3\">\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>starttime</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">/></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>AOMInitials</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">/></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>AOMOther</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">/></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>DailyScheduled</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">/></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>SpecialInspectionType</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">/></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>SpecialOther</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">/></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>SpecialLocation</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">/></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>endtime</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">/></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>meta</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"><</SPAN>instanceID</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">/></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"></</SPAN>meta</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">></SPAN></SPAN>\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
<SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="token tag"><SPAN class="punctuation token"></</SPAN>Form_3</SPAN><SPAN class="punctuation token">></SPAN></SPAN>\n‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍<SPAN class="line-numbers-rows"><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN><SPAN>‍</SPAN></SPAN>

How can we convert that to standard XML/JSON? Is there a better endpoint we could use where we could get back the "model" in JSON or correctly formatted JSON?

Thanks!

Matt

 

JamesTedrick

Hi Matt,

The webform uses an XForm XML file that has been embedded within a JSON file.  To get the field names directly, there are a couple of methods:

1) Scan the Feature Service Layer's REST endpoint.  The fields are present and, if published by Survey123, will have the labels of the questions set as field aliases.

2) Access the [form name].xml info resource (as opposed to the [form name].webform) - you will see this in the file folder of a survey in either Survey123 field app or Survey123 Connect.