Ability to disable return on numbers keyboard?

EricaCirigliano · ‎06-23-2021

Hello, S123 Community,

I'm using S123 Connect v. 3.12.232

Our field folks like using the numbers keyboard for integer and decimal questions better than their device keyboards. I know that there was a big push to add the return key to the numbers keypad so that it would advance the cursor to the next question.

The problem for our surveys is that this advancing skips over select_one questions, and even entire repeat sections if there are no text type fields for the cursor to land in.

According to this thread: https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-survey123-questions/advancing-to-next-question-using-return-key... the "input" type questions should take focus "by the tab or return key", which I believe in that thread is referring to keys on the device keyboard, not the in-survey keyboards. It lists select_one as one of the "input" types that will take focus from those keys.

Is there a way to either include select_one questions in the group that will take focus from the numbers keypad return key, or disable that return key so that the user has to navigate manually through the survey? Not as efficient, but better than missing questions.

Thanks,

Erica

EricaCirigliano · ‎06-28-2021

My workaround for this is:

1. Where possible, rearrange questions so that a numbers keypad is before another numbers keypad question or a text box question.

2. If a numbers keypad question has to be before a select_one question, do not use compact appearance for the select_one.

3. If a select_one after an integer or decimal question has to use the compact appearance, don't use the numbers keypad for the integer/decimal question.

Clunky, but this arrangement means that focus doesn't scroll past any questions.

@ZacharySutherby Not sure if you would be the one to weigh in on this issue of focus skipping past compact select_one questions when the return key on the numbers keypad is tapped, but I'm hesitant to mark this as the solution without someone from Esri replying. I don't know if this is in the queue to be addressed, whether there's a better solution, etc. Any insights?

EDIT: accepting this as the solution for now...

View solution in original post

DougBrowning · ‎06-23-2021

Yes for sure. In FileMaker it will even auto expand the drop down for you. So much faster, so many less taps. I think this is what you want right?

This is another use case for tab order also. Please update here https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-survey123-ideas/add-tab-order-to-survey123/idi-p/941555

I have some other ideas here https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-survey123-questions/specific-ideas-to-speed-up-123-data-entry/t...

About the only feedback we get from the Crews now is how slow data entry is in 123 vs our old programs which is a bummer.

thanks

EricaCirigliano · ‎06-23-2021

Hi, @DougBrowning,

When you say "yes for sure," do you mean that this is possible? Or that you're agreeing with my suggestion to include select_ones as field types that will accept focus from the return key on the numbers keypad?

I've read that adding the return key on the numbers keypad was a campaign you spearheaded, and it's a great idea. I just don't think the implementation is complete, because in a scrolling format on a phone (as opposed to a grid format on a tablet), tapping return from the numbers keypad can (and does, in our survey) skip over select_one questions until it reaches a field it can put the cursor in. Our users don't even know that the questions were skipped, as they trust that the survey is guiding them in the right order. Is this something you've encountered since the numbers keypad return key was implemented? Do you have a workaround?

I agree with your ideas for tab order and navigating repeats. Our surveys have fewer repeats than yours, and are filled out by people who fill out such surveys only during field season and even then not daily, so data entry efficiency is not a high priority for us, though it's always nice.

In the near future, my hope is for a better-implemented return key on the numbers keypad, or the ability to disable it so that it doesn't scroll users past survey questions.

Thanks for all your hard work on behalf of the S123 user community.