topic Survey123 Connect grid width appearance parameter not working on some rows in ArcGIS Survey123 Questions

Survey123 Connect grid width appearance parameter not working on some rows

ZenMasterZeke — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:07:18 GMT

Howdy! I'm having a problem with the grid width settings (w# appearance) working in some rows, but not others. The settings work for the first couple rows, but get thrown off on subsequent ones. The grid is in a w6:6 group, within a w6:6 repeat, within a w6 group, dynamic layout.

The first column is select_one, w2 and always displays.
The second column is a note, w4, and should only display if nothing was selected in the first column.
If the first column is selected, then 2 select multiple, w2 columns should display instead of the note.
Display is controlled by formulas in the 'relevant' column
Fixed-grid is not an option because the number of multiple choice options creates a wide gap between rows even if column 1 is not selected

This works for the first couple of rows, but then it seems as if column 1 takes up more than it's allotted w2 spaces. If column 1 is selected, it takes up w4 spaces, pushing the first multiple over to the last w2, and the second multiple to the next row. The problem may have something to do with the note displaying anyway; if no selection in column 1, column 1 takes up all 6 columns and the note takes the next row. If the first column is selected, the note appears to take up the middle w2.

I can't figure out where the problem is. Any ideas? Screenshots and xlsx file attached. Thanks!

Re: Survey123 Connect grid width appearance parameter not working on some rows

Neal_t_k — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 18:22:59 GMT

Non relevant fields take up space, to overcome this each section can be its own group, that way you don't get overflow issues into the next group. Try the attached out.

Re: Survey123 Connect grid width appearance parameter not working on some rows

ZenMasterZeke — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 18:37:27 GMT

Thanks @Neal_t_k. I'll take a look at your file. I thought that dynamic-grid was supposed to collapse non relevant fields though, and it appears to do that for the first two rows. Also, the first column is w2, the note is w4, so presumably that would fill out the 6 column grid. But if I put actual text in the note, rather than <b></b> or similar, it displays below the first column, as if the first column is now w6.

Re: Survey123 Connect grid width appearance parameter not working on some rows

Neal_t_k — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 18:48:16 GMT

@ZenMasterZeke I have always had to fiddle to get relevant grid questions to act the expected way. They seem to "collapse" but still take up some space. Using nested groups is always how I end up keeping those questions separate and avoiding the spillover.

Re: Survey123 Connect grid width appearance parameter not working on some rows

TylerGraham2 — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:22:38 GMT

The thing with adding additional groups with no labels is that it gives you an error message in Connect and if you do something like <b></b> you get extra white space in the form of an empty group header. One thing esri has conditioned in me is an unhealthy paranoia when an error/warning message happens and the thing still appears to work. I know it is going to break at some point in and in an unexpected way later down the road.

I took a stab at it, and it was giving weird formatting on the shower question too until I took out the whitespace notes. With they dynamic-grid the questions then bumped around all over the screen which in my opinion would drive users nuts. I set just the basic needs group to a fixed-grid using the body::esri:style column in the xls, but then like you said you had all the space between the questions. The reason that was happening was the select multiple choices were long vertical lists.

In the appearance you can adjust how many columns the choices appear in (separate from the grid layout) with certain appearance types. Compact is one of those, and you define how many columns you want for the list by adding a - and the number of columns, so I did "compact-2" to use the space more efficiently. I changed the Basic Needs group to w5:6, so it is 5 columns spanning the 6 columns of its parent group. I changed the select one questions to a w1 which frees up some screen space for the select multiple questions (still left as w2). Below is what you get as a result. I attached an xls with the setup to review.

Re: Survey123 Connect grid width appearance parameter not working on some rows

apgis16 — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 20:36:49 GMT

I'm trying to do a grid layout in S123 Connect and it looks fine in the preview but when I publish and view it in the web browser, it doesn't show a grid and it's driving me crazy. Below is the spreadsheet and screenshots:

type	name	label	hint	guidance_hint	appearance	body::esri:style
begin group	number_of_permits_issued_by_typ	Number of Permits Issued			w4 table-list	layout=dynamic-grid
note		Building			w2
integer	building_closed	Closed			w1
integer	building_open	Open			w1
note		Mechanical			w2
integer	mechanical_closed	Closed			w1
integer	mechanical_open	Open			w1
note		Electrical			w2
integer	electrical_closed	Closed			w1
integer	electrical_open	Open			w1
note		Plumbing			w2
integer	plumbing_closed	Closed			w1
integer	plumbing_open	Open			w1
note		Fire Protection			w2
integer	fire_closed	Closed			w1
integer	fire_open	Open			w1
note		Total Permits			w2
integer	total_permits_closed	Closed			w1
integer	total_permits_open	Open			w1

Re: Survey123 Connect grid width appearance parameter not working on some rows

TylerGraham2 — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:11:43 GMT

Use field-list instead of table-list for your group appearance. table-list is supposed to be for a group of select one questions.

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/survey123/desktop/create-surveys/quickreferencecreatesurveys.htm#:~:text=No-,table%2Dlist,-begin%20group

Re: Survey123 Connect grid width appearance parameter not working on some rows

apgis16 — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:23:51 GMT

thank you!