topic Do not require user to click refresh button when field is hidden in ArcGIS Survey123 Questions

Do not require user to click refresh button when field is hidden

JoseVidal — Fri, 14 May 2021 19:06:30 GMT

When using the Inbox feature and the 'calculation' column to calculate values, sometimes those calculated values are not now shown. Instead the user sees a recycling icon. When the user presses it then the value gets calculated.

This works OK, until that field is 'hidden' and its value is used by yet another 'calculation'. In these cases the final value cannot be calculated because there is no recycle button to press.

Re: Do not require user to click refresh button when field is hidden

abureaux — Fri, 14 May 2021 20:32:25 GMT

I am likely not understanding what you are doing. Looks like you are using text fields, so I am not sure where your output is supposed to be. And sounds like you are using hidden fields for calculates?

Why not use a [type] calculate field? They are hidden by default. May help if you share your example doc.

Re: Do not require user to click refresh button when field is hidden

JoseVidal — Fri, 14 May 2021 21:33:49 GMT

I am using the calculation column to do some calculations. The above image is from the spreadsheet:

type	name	label	calculation
text	name	Name
decimal	input	Enter a number
decimal	double_input	Double of it	${input}*2
select_one yes_no	yes_no	Yes or No
decimal	grade	input * yes_no(yes = 50, else = 0)	if(selected(${yes_no}, 'yes'), ${input} * 50, 0)
decimal	double_grade	Double of above	${grade}*2

The process is complicated:

To reproduce the problem you have to connect both TCSubmitter and TCReviewer to the TC Service. Turn on the Inbox for the TCReviewer. Then submit a TCSubmitter form with the number field empty. Then go to the Inbox of TCReviewer to see the submitted form.

The TCReviewer will show the "reload" icon above on that one field (see image above).

But, if I make that field hidden then the final field (double of the above) does not get the reload icon and does not get a value either.

Re: Do not require user to click refresh button when field is hidden

JoseVidal — Fri, 14 May 2021 22:08:45 GMT

You might say "just don't make the 'grade' field a 'hidden' field and the user will press the reload button".

The thing is, this is just a reproduction of the real spreadsheet, which has hundreds of values and dozens of intermediary values. 'grade' is an example of an intermediary value. We would like it to be hidden, but its value automatically calculated so that other calculations which depend on the value of 'grade' will also get calculated.

Re: Do not require user to click refresh button when field is hidden

abureaux — Fri, 14 May 2021 21:48:20 GMT

Thanks for the reply.

The thing that jumps out to me is the use of text fields for calculations. Have you considered using a combination of [type] note and calculate? See below:

type	name	label	calculation
text	name	Name
decimal	input	Enter a number
calculate	double_input		${input}*2
note		Double of it: ${double_input}
calculate	yes_no_calc		if(selected(${yes_no},'yes'), ${input} * 50, 0)
select_one yes_no	yes_no	Yes or No
note	grade	${yes_no_calc}
calculate	double_grade		${yes_no_calc}*2
note		Double of above = ${double_grade}

Re: Do not require user to click refresh button when field is hidden

JoseVidal — Fri, 14 May 2021 22:28:24 GMT

Yes, thanks!

Making the intermediary values of type 'calculate' and the final values of type 'note' makes it work.