Editor for Excel for Survey123 Connect

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08-07-2021 02:49 AM
Status: Open
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Adrian_S
New Contributor II

Experienced Survey123 Connect users need a new editor, to greatly simplify the creation of more complex Excel spreadsheets.

This is the same concept as Survey123 Web Designer, but for Connect instead, and would offer all of it's possibilities.

Note: Web Designer intentionally will never cover all Connect possibilities, because it's the simpler editor.

A) Editor requirements:

a) Editing:

1) Add a row*.
2) Offer only columns that are relevant, for chosen field type.
3) Offer all relevant options, for each column.
4) Default values for relevant columns. E.g.:
   '255' in column 'bind::esri:fieldLength'.
   'This is a required question' in column 'required_message'.
   'regex ...' in column 'constraint'.
   'method=vertex' in column 'body::esri:style'.
   Etc....
5) Collapsible editor*.

b) Syntax:

1) Enforce formatting rules*.
      E.g. no spaces in 'name' column.
2) Auto-complete.
      E.g. offer valid names, ${my_field} in 'calculation' column.
3) Syntax colouring, in 'calculation' column.
4) Check syntax*.

B) Current Problem with Excel & Connect:

1) Excel allows anything to be entered, in any column.
2) Too many columns in view at one time.
3) Not all options are available on the drop-down menus.
      E.g. 'method=vertex' in 'body::esri:style' column.

C) Solution:

1) Provide a new editor tool, that exports an Excel spreadsheet to Connect.
2) Note: some requirements are already satisfied by Connect, marked * above.

1 Comment
ThomasHamill

I agree that there is somewhat of a gap in functionality between Survey123 Connect and the Web Designer.  It would be interesting to see the most useful features from one integrated into the other and vice versa, i.e., bring some of the more advanced functionality from Connect (specifically, the XLSForm mechanics) into Web Designer and bring some of the GUI benefits from Web Designer into Connect.