Survey123 Data Loss Problem on Decimal Fields
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07-18-2019 11:09 AM
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Context
Different countries use different symbols as a decimal or thousands separator.
Some use a period, others a comma. Take a look:
Depending on how Survey123 field app interprets these symbols, this can lead to data loss.
The problem
Supposing the expected decimal separator is a comma, Survey123 behaviour is the following:
| Value typed in a survey | Value actually stored in the Geodatabase |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 1.1 | 11 |
| 1.12 | 112 |
| 1.123 | 1123 |
| 1,1 | 1,1 |
| 1,12 | 1,12 |
| 1,123 | 1,123 |
As you can see, if the user thinks the correct decimal separator is a period or simply forgets what is the correct one, we'll end up having wrong values in the geodatabase. This is problematic.
Proposed Solution
Survey123 web interface already has the solution: it doesn't allow you to type the thousands separator.
So... bring it to the app too!
