topic Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question in ArcGIS Survey123 Questions

Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

BrentKinal1 — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 15:07:35 GMT

I asked this a while back to no avail and question came up again so I thought I'd try give it another try.

I'd like to make a question conditionally required, that is I would always like it to visible however if a previous question is answered a certain way I would like the question to be required. Does any one know if this is possible?

Here is a link to my original question: Survey 123 Conditionally Required Question

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

JamesTedrick — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 16:24:00 GMT

Hi Brent,

Currently the relevant column doesn't support functions, so it isn't possible to have an optionally required question. We have it listed as an enhancement in our development queue and I'll add you request to the documentation for it.

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

BrentKinal1 — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 16:26:28 GMT

Thank you James!

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

KevinBrown10 — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 06:39:04 GMT

I also had this question and believe that adding that enhancement to require responses based on a previous question would be very beneficial and utilized on a majority of our surveys once available.

Thank you and keep up the great work.

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

BonnieWeller1 — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 17:27:35 GMT

I really need the conditionally relevant feature, so definitely bump this up on your enhancement priorities.

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

NickDierks — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 19:20:51 GMT

Without knowing what workflows you're using, this method is one that I've tried with some success:

Take the question you want to be conditionally required and make a second copy of it.
One copy is marked as required, the other isn't.
Each copy has a relevant condition such that only one copy will display. In the case of the required copy, this will be the condition you have in mind that makes this question required.
Set both copies as null
Have a read-only or hidden question populate with the answer of the above two copies, using an if/then statement based on your original requirement condition. This keeps both of the above copies' answers in the same field.

type	name	label	relevant	calculation
select_one yes_no	IsRequired	Should this question be required?
text	NotRequired	This question is not required.	${IsRequired}='no'
text	Required	This question is required.*	${isRequired}='yes'
text	Result	This field stores the values of 'Required' and 'NotRequired'		if(selected(${IsRequired}, 'yes'), ${Required}, ${NotRequired})

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

BrentKinal1 — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 20:39:52 GMT

Great work around Nick!!! Thanks for sharing, this will be a regular part of the workflow in many forms.

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

BenVan_Kesteren1 — Mon, 02 Jul 2018 04:32:40 GMT

Does anyone know if this functionality is available on the https://survey123.arcgis.com site?

Cheers

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

TimnaG — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 07:19:13 GMT

Hi James,

Is there any update on the status of this conditional question enhancement to functionality for Survey123? If Esri want to make Survey123 a serious tool in context of others like SurveyGizmo etc, then this really is a must. I would imagine some large local government organisations (who use ArcGIS and AGOL) , especially those who run community engagement activities and currently use SurveyGizmo or Qualtrics, might consider 'switching' more staff to Survey123 - as it offers so much potential to capture community engagement on planning events and integrate better with ArcGIS and AGOL. Cheers

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

ClaireProctor — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 01:44:50 GMT

Hi Timna,

This was added in a recent release, actually! You can enter an expression into the 'required' column' of your survey, allowing a question to be considered required based on the input from a previous question. Check out the docs for examples: Form expressions—Survey123 for ArcGIS | ArcGIS

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

NickDierks1 — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 21:23:18 GMT

This seems to work as stated in Connect, but not when published as a web form. The question stays required, regardless of any other conditions in the survey.

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

ClaireProctor — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 00:28:50 GMT

Yes, this functionality doesn't currently exist in the web form, only in the field app.

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

ZacharyOrdo__GISP — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 20:17:02 GMT

Claire Proctor‌ or Nick Dierks could you please provide an example of an if statement you used to get this to work?

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

ZacharyOrdo__GISP — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 20:29:24 GMT

Actually, I finally got it to work. The expressions are fully case sensitive. All field names must be entirely lowercase, and the if statement must use the choice name, not the label. Here's an example of what kind of if statement you would put in the required field on the survey tab:

if( ${doyoulikegis}='no','yes','')

In the above example, if you answer that you don't like GIS, you'd be required to answer the question to which that form expression applies (such as "Why don't you like GIS?")

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

ReneAubut — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 19:02:19 GMT

Hi,

i have used this if statement in the required field: if (${Type_Suivi}='Elimination','yes',''), where Type_Suivi is a select_one question. I also have conditions in the relevant column for that same question. I am not getting a required question when using the form. The only way I can have this question required is when i remove the if statement and the relevant expression. Any clues?

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

DougBrowning — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 19:53:27 GMT

The statement must evaluate to True not 'yes'. You can pull this off using 1 and 0.

Use this

if (${Type_Suivi}='Elimination',1,0)

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

ReneAubut — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 19:55:43 GMT

Thanks Doug! Just had it working also using: ${Type_Suivi}='Elimination'

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

DougBrowning — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 20:08:21 GMT

Opps I was writing Ifs all day so I forgot. Same though - evaluate to true.

How I use if in relevant is things like if(${state}="WA",${Type_Suivi}='Elimination',0). This is having a relevant only for certain situations.

Sorry about that

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

LisaDygert — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 19:28:37 GMT

Hi Nick,

I have a similar issue with the need to make a survey element conditionally required based on previous answers, but mine is with a geoshape question type. Basically, if a paper map or digital map exists, then I want it to be optional that they delineate the boundary. If, however, the source is from a written description, local knowledge, etc., then I want them to be required to draw the boundary. Having multiple geoshape question types in the same form I would think would be rather problematic. Do you have any ideas or suggestions on how I can accomplish this task with geoshape question types?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Lisa

Re: Make a question required conditionally based on answer to previous question

NickDierks1 — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 20:14:09 GMT

I haven't been keeping up with S123 lately, so I'm not too familiar with the new question types. You're right that the workaround shouldn't be able to apply to your situation as neatly. Is there a way to check whether or not a geoshape question has been answered? I know you can do this with non-geo questions. Basically a hidden question doing an internal check "Geoshape is null?" or something like that. Set it up so that it only checks when the data source is not a map, and constrain it so that it throws an error when the geoshape has not been answered.

Those are a few big ifs (checking the status of a geoshape answer; how conditional constraints are handled), but hopefully they'll lead you toward a solution!