Eliminate blank spaces from Survey123 Feature Reports

2478
5
10-28-2020 05:10 AM
Status: Open
RafaeldePedro
Occasional Contributor

Hi,

It would be very helpful if feature reports would not create blank space in place of conditional fields that for having no data recorded are not included in the feature report.

For example, if my template contemplates data from a list of 15 fields (each under a condition statement to appear only if information was recorded) only a few fields get recorded each time, it's against the purpose of the feature reports to create a lot of unnecessary blank space where such data from fields with no data recorded would have been displayed. Instead, the current situation is that the resulting word documents need much editing to be presentable.

If any solution could be applied to this issue, it will result in much more versatile feature reports. 

Thank you.

5 Comments
Felicitychun

Hi Rafael,

I was finding similar issues with my reports, I find it's in the formatting in the word template including spaces and everything. try formatting conditional and everything in a single line :

${if observation}Overview: ${observation} ${/}

I also put them in tables and only want the rows included if there is data where location_description is shown with roadname and so on:

${if location_type | selected: “roadname”}Road Name:

${roadname1}

Location Description:

${location_description} ${/}

${if location_type | selected: “controlline”}Control Line:

${control_line}

Start:

${start_chainage}

Finish:

${finish_chainage} ${/}

${if location_type | selected: “structureid”}Structure ID:

${structure_id} ${/}

RafaeldePedro

Hi Felicity,

The example I attached was based on a form where conditional statements where put on the same line just as you showed in your comment, but it still didn't work for me. The problem was that if {observation} was empty, then line 1 would result in a blank line and then the next field, for example {observation2} would go on line 2 in the word document, leaving the first line blank. 

However, I haven't tried yet to use the table-style word template. I will have a go and see how it behaves. 

Thanks for your comment

AllanBrown

I have the same issue. Not only with word fields but also with photos that have conditional requirements

BethanyCrenshaw1

My reports have the same issue.  I love the ${if function that hides unanswered questions, but we have tons of extra lines.  I give this instruction out with our field guide document:

"The reports still need a little cleaning up.  If you do a “find and replace” you can clean up the extra lines fairly quickly.  Find ^p^p and replace with ^p."

BethanyCrenshaw1_0-1707784083211.png

I would like to not have to worrry about this though.

RobertAnderson3

I find this happens sporadically when I'm using tables for repeats or inserting images, randomly it'll just skip to the next page and leave a big blank space and I can't figure out how to fix it.