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Some surveys the feature class have empty fields, but surveyors have submitted answers to those questions. Are there any ideas why these fields are blank?

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07-26-2018 08:51 AM
GISHelp
Occasional Contributor

The surveys have been submitted via Inbox and Collect on a mobile device.

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6 Replies
by Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi GIS Help,

Can you please provide more descriptive information about the Survey123 app version, device model/os version, which type of fields are effected (text, integer, decimal etc) and do you have relevant, calculations, defaults on these questions? Also is this a public or private survey, how is it shared etc?

Also, if you can hare your xlsx form with examples of exactly when/how data is missing when submitted, so we can try and reproduce this issue.

Phil.

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GISHelp
Occasional Contributor

Thanks for following up, Phil! To answer your questions:

 

- Survey 123 Connect for ArcGIS Version 2.8.4

- Devices range from Android to Apple. There were 40 entries from various surveyors that have blank fields out of the ~100 total that had been submitted. (It was odd that this wasn't a consistent error.)

- Text fields are affected, with no calculations or defaults. They were all required questions so I know there should have been text populated in those fields. These questions, along with others, are together in a 'group,' which has relevancy. Those specific questions don't have relevancy.

- This survey is shared to a group in our organization.

 

Attached is an xlsx form of one of the surveys causing the error.

 

I don't see a straightforward pattern to the entries with or without the fields being populated. Someone pointed out to me that the amount of characters of the names of the fields are long. (Overdose_ChestCompressions & Overdose_MouthResuscitation & Treatment_EnoughFacilities). But the table of successful surveys still has some of these populated. I am thoroughly stumped!

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by Anonymous User
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Hi there, thanks for the additional information and a copy of your survey. 

I used your xlsx file and published a new survey and created a feature service based of it, and tested using the field app to create new records in the feature layer and also edit records via Inbox in the app to the same existing records in feature layer. I do not see any data loss or null values for fields that I edit via the Inbox and submit. All values entered or edited in the app and visible in AGO in the feature layer.

The only difference is that you are using existing feature service with existing data not created in Survey123, whereas I created the feature layer via Survey123, and all the records via the app.

The only other thing I can think is that it has something to do with your relevant statement on the groups. If the user makes the group not relevant, all questions inside that group also become not relevant. This will make all the values null. Is it possible they are changing the relevant condition that then effects all the related questions, clearing the previously stored values?

Are you able to provide example of exactly what fields had null values even though values were submitted?

On a side note, while reviewing your xlsx file, I noticed a few issues:

1. You have html formatting tags that do not have closing tags. See Survey123 documentation on supported HTML formatting: Quick reference—Survey123 for ArcGIS | ArcGIS 

2 You are using named notes, which in turn creates a field in the database just for the note, so will never have any values as is not an input. You can either remove the name in the name column of a note, or add a esri field type of null, so that a field is not required in feature layer that is never used. Notes—Survey123 for ArcGIS | ArcGIS 

Phil.

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BenjaminSperry1
Frequent Contributor

Hi,

I have run into this problem as well. I have a form that edits existing data. I thought that the relevant option was the same as hiding the field unless it met certain criteria; I only want my field crew to edit fields relevant to the task they are doing. However, it turns out that all of the original values with an assigned relevancy were replaced with null values with the exception of those that were marked readonly.

Is there a way to show only relevant fields without resetting their values to null?

I am using Survey 123 Connect 3.6

And the Survey123 Web App

With ArcGIS Enterprise 10.7.1 Hosted feature service.

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by Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi Benjamin,

The correct and designed use of "relevance" is that if a question is not relevant, it does not have a value and the user can not submit data for a non relevant question.

We are currently working on a new appearance of "hidden" for all question types, which will allow you to hide a question from the visible form, but still keep the value in the question. I believe this is what you are wanting. This will be available in the next release, and should be available on the Survey123 Early Adopter Community (EAC) to test out in the 3.10 beta builds shortly.

Regards,

Phil.

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BenjaminSperry1
Frequent Contributor

Hi Philip,

Thank you for that clarification. I look forward to the new update.

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