topic Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat? in ArcGIS Survey123 Questions

Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

JeffJackson4 — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 14:03:26 GMT

Is there a way to summarize, as a list, certain items from within a repeat? Say using a note field?

For example, we want to do repeated surveys (weekly) at locations. So we have a single form where the main part of the form contains key data for the site (location, name, structure ID, etc.). Then the second part of the form has a repeat for each of the weekly inspections.

When something is amiss, it is marked as a "priority item" in a given weekly report. The problem is that unless you scroll through each of the previous surveys (as many as 50 or more), and view every potential item type on said form, it is very difficult to see what the items that need addressing are, and if they have been addressed, close them out.

What we would like to do is have a summary in the main body of the form that lists these priority items in a format like as follows.

Priority Items:

Description Priority Date Open Date Closed

Problem #1 High 08/23/2018 09/06/2018

Problem #2 Medium 09/06/2018

Problem #3 Low 09/13/2018

Where things like "Description", "Priority", "Date Open", and "Date Closed" are all fields within the repeat.

This way, the inspector can quickly see what needs to be looked at.

Thanks.

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

ClayDonaldsonSWCA — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 17:04:28 GMT

This is possible! What you need to do is have a hidden calculation field within the repeat that holds either a 1 or null.

Then use the sum() function to add all the records together. For example, a repeat with a 'high' priority would have a hidden count field set to 1 and medium/low count fields set to null.

Oh and the bind:type set to int is important, the function will not work otherwise. This is a different column from the esrifieldtype column!

type

label

Calculation

bind:type

begin repeat

select_one priority

priority

hidden

priority_high_count

int(if(selected(${priority},'High'),1,''))

int

hidden

priority_medium_count

int(if(selected(${priority},'Medium'),1,''))

int

end repeat

note

High Priority Count

sum(${priority_high_count})

note

High Medium Count

sum(${priority_medium_count})

You can then display the resulting sum as a note, use as a constraint, add additional repeats etc.

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

JeffJackson4 — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 17:19:31 GMT

Thanks. But I don't think this will actually display the results like I want above. It will just display a "count" of each type of priority item. I'm already doing this elsewhere on the form for other reasons.

If there are 4 high priority items, this will tell me there are "4". But none of the other information gets passed through.

What is needed is a summary of what the open item entails. Because of the way repeats work, they don't display as a list (unless I've missed that option). They display as a single item with the ability to scroll to the next or the previous.

One workaround, which is cumbersome and not practical for large sites with many visits, is to have a series of priority item questions and inputs not as a repeat, but as a selectable and additive list through a "add another" Y/N command. But ultimately you get limited in how many you can add.

That's why I'm looking for this workaround since repeats are much cleaner.

This is what I need to see. But not just for the selected instance of the repeat.

If I move to the next instance, I no longer see this one. I need to see them all under the "List of Priority Items" note field regardless of which instance is selected.

Thanks.

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

ClayDonaldsonSWCA — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 17:35:40 GMT

Ah I misunderstood!

So you are attempting to recreate that table, hmmm. Something I have also struggled with re-creating without affecting performance. I agree the many duplicated attributes with Y/N is quite cumbersome.

You could tie a geopoint question to the repeat, then each repeat would have a point record which could be configured in another app such as workforce,collector or explorer. It could just be a duplicate of the initial coordinates. Then when someone clicked/tapped on that spot they would see all the records. I have done something similar for one of my surveys.

That would have to depend on the nature of the work though (do they need the info during that visit? Or would it be for returning visits?) and connectivity. Workforce actually sounds like it might work for what you are attempting.

Unfortunately I don't think this is currently possible in survey123. I believe ODK has this functionality and I'm sure it will be added to Survey123 eventually (Please Esri?)

Good luck!

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

JamesTedrick — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 18:18:47 GMT

Hi Jeff,

We do not have a table view of repeats. I've logged this as a potential enhancement.

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

JeffJackson4 — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 15:49:01 GMT

This would certainly be most helpful if it could become an enchancement. Thanks.

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

DougBrowning — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 19:11:42 GMT

In these workflows I always prefer to have 1 form filled out per visit. That way you have full editor tracking (date/time and which inspector), GPS (can see if they were in the correct spot) etc. Use collector to hold the prefilled data like location and such. Use Collector to launch the form once they get there - filling out the top data for them. Relationship class the weekly forms back to the points - now can easily see them all in AGOL, Collector, etc.. Users can bring up last weeks report, change a few items and resubmit for each repeated inspections.

Then so many things are easier. Like your OMG issues are now just symbols on the map. Plus Ops Dashboard etc all become easy to use.

I see a lot of people trying to put site visits in repeats and it never seems to flow very well. The data that is known before you leave makes more sense in Collector then in a field survey.

hope that helps

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

JeffJackson4 — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 10:28:48 GMT

We have tried this solution. Still seems to make it very had to track open items on a site where there may be 10 inspection items and 5 need corrective action. And then track and ultimately close out items that are resolved. The problem is that unless you modify the site through the XLS form tied to Survey123, the system does not recalculate important information (such as days an action item is open, etc.) These are all things that are very important to our clients.

The tracking aspect is very important to our client as this is all for compliance purposes.

When we have multiple forms (or a new form for each visit) and each one may have a different or new item to be fixed, or week after week reporting the same item that has not yet been resolved, this tracking becomes cumbersome and bulky with separate forms. There's a lot of backend heavy lifting and coding that we have to do just to figure out how to handle all the possible combinations of repeated possibilities to make sure the info our client wants to see is being handled efficiently.

Also, our client is not entirely happy with Collector and we are trying to provide them a separate solution for now through Survey123.

The Dashboard does not work for our client as it does not conform to our client's way of doing reporting. So we are not using that.

However, if you could further explain how you have resolved these issues, it may help point us in a better direction than the single site form option.

Thanks.

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

DougBrowning — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 14:01:45 GMT

You could use Arcade expressions to calculate some of it probably. Symbols or definition query could handle some other parts.

But it sounds like you have the common issue of a company wanting to use modern technology but still use there old workflows. If they are not at all open to changing how they see items (they are probably used to static reports) then it will be a tough go. A Ops Dashboard could quickly tell them many of the things you mentioned.

For me we had a manager that refused to not get a print out from Survey123. So I built this whole system to generate a pdf and mail it. So the field worked filled out on the tablet, got an email, printed it, then walked it over to the mangers desk. They then complained it was not any easier - well duh! Then in the end I found that all the manager did was put the paper in a file cabinet - never to be looked at again! Lot of money to spend just cause someone will not change.

Just my personal view. Good luck.

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

JeffJackson4 — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 15:10:40 GMT

Really, the problem is the way the data is handled on ESRI's backend. We've had a lot of discussions with them regarding how different access points don't provide the same functionality. For example you get one type of functionality if you use the Survey123 Form and an entirely different functionality if you log in to the site and try to edit data. This is because the only thing linked to the XLS form is the Survey.

So, if someone logs in to the data through the desktop and tries to "close out" an open item, they can put in the date. But nothing gets calculated (e.g. days open, etc.). It would be clean and neat if we could count on the data being handled and processed the same way regardless of how you access it. But it isn't.

It also is a problem when you have to store old data. Some projects don't require this. But ours do. If it was as simple as simply updating information and not having to worry about old data, that would be one thing. You have one form and each week you just put new data in. But, when you are talking about compliance, preserving the old data is very critical. The History is the key.

This requires us to download data and do our own spreadsheets and parse the data there to maintain integrity and generate the information required for compliance purposes.

This also leads to the problem I mentioned above. We do not want users to have to access data all over the place in order to find out simple things. Such as what items are open and need a closer look. Its not that field personnel are not capable. Its that having data in too many places leads to potential points of failure. Opening one form and seeing what you need to see is key. Using and linking separate softwares has already created headaches on this project. Which is why they have tasked us with coming up with a better solution.

Collector just doesn't work for this type of system. It works great for linear projects where the inspection points are spaced out. But here they can be very close together and that makes for a cluttered mess. Survey123 is much better for that situation, but is lacking some key functionality.

What ESRI really needs is to merge the two into one software.

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

DougBrowning — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 15:23:15 GMT

Yep most of my day is doing this type of data ballet. Keeps us working though!

I agree that live time data stuff is something Esri really lacks. It is all based on processing data vis scripts etc, not reacting live time. Arcade is a start at this and when collector gets Arcade you may finally be able to write something once that works in web map and collector.

In the end what normally I have to do is pull down the data, run some script on it, then republish. I could see you running a nightly to do some of this like days.

Have you looked at the Workforce app? It allows you to get a list of To Do items and such that may help with the spatial clutter. I think it may have severity and such also to prioritize. Seems built to do some of what you want - like closing out a job.

Re: Way to summarize existing items inside a repeat?

RogerCleaves1 — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 17:04:02 GMT

Any movement on this enhancement? We have an inspection survey and staff would like to see a summary of what was entered at the end