Survey123 calls other Survey123's in the field - is this possible?

[Anonymous User]

Hello all, 

I'm currently building this massive survey and when complete, it will be close to 1000 lines. Within it, there are multiple components including six inspection forms and six other surveys. If I need to make a change to the schema, there is a potential that I could loose all the data in the other components of this survey and it also becomes an administration nightmare, however I want to make it easy for the field workers to do their inspections.

Ideally, I would like to see if I can have all those surveys as individual surveys and the parent survey can call the child surveys, when the field work requires them.

Is this possible?

Attached is a screen shot of the main survey.

This would help  with reporting components and also the maintenance of the surveys. 

Paul

ArcGIS Survey123‌, Esri Surveying‌

[ZacharySutherby]

Hello Paul Wiles‌, 

One option would be to add note question(s) to the survey and link to the other surveys using Survey123 links or the custom URL scheme. 

For example in the label of the note question you can put <a href="arcgis-survey123://?itemID=Other Survey Item ID">Use this link to access the other survey</a> and that will launch the other survey in the app (assuming you have "open survey in field app directly" selected under the collaborate tab for the survey on the Survey123 Website). 

In the Survey123 links or customer URL scheme you can also pass along parameters from the existing survey into the other survey if you like. For example if survey A has a facility ID and survey B has a facility ID you can use <a href="arcgis-survey123://?itemID=Other Survey Item ID&field:facilityID=${facilityID}">. When I was testing after I filled out the second survey and sent it I was then directed back to the original survey I linked from. 

I tested using the custom URL scheme and it was working well for me I hadn't tested app links a whole lot, but it should be the same same as the custom URL scheme with the exception that app links are limited to IOS and Android only. 

Please use this link for reference regarding integrating with other apps: Integrate with other apps—ArcGIS Survey123 | Documentation 

Please use this link for reference regarding understanding ArcGIS Survey123 custom URL scheme: https://community.esri.com/groups/survey123/blog/2016/07/30/understanding-survey123s-custom-url-sche... 

Thank you, 

Zach

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for your comments Zachary Sutherby‌

To confirm, the inspectors have all their surveys downloaded in advance and when they go into those area's without service, they can clink on the parent survey and it will open the child surveys in a "offline" mode.  Not sure how to link the parent to the child in a offline mode, but it looks like I have some reading to do .

Please confirm this scenario is possible.

Paul

[ZacharySutherby]

Hello Paul Wiles‌, 

Yeah if all surveys are downloaded in the Field App the link should work (I was using the custom URL Scheme did not test with app link) 

The same link formatting should work in offline mode (<a href="arcgis-survey123://?itemID=Other Survey Item ID">Use this link to access the other survey</a>) the link is handled within the application. 

I had tested the following workflow: 

- Place my device in airplane mode

- Open ArcGIS Survey123 Field App.

- Open my "parent" survey and filled out some information.

- Selected the link to my "child" survey and completed that survey. 

- I then saved the "child" survey in the Outbox.

- Once save in the outbox the app directed me back to the "parent" survey and I completed that survey and saved in the Outbox. 

- When I disabled airplane mode and was back on my WiFi I was able to submit both surveys as expected. 

There shouldn't be a difference but I was only testing on IOS, unfortunately I don't have and Android device available for testing at the moment. Another thing to note that also shouldn't make a difference but as a note I was testing on the beta build of Survey123 3.11 Field App. I would suggest if your field workers are using a variety of devices (IOS, Android, Windows) having them run a couple of tests in an offline mode to ensure everything works as expected prior to traveling out in the field. 

Thank you, 

Zach

[Anonymous User]

Hi Zach,

Are you able to provide the examples of your Excel docs for this blog's reference? The parent and the child. And thanks for the great news, this will help the

ArcGIS Survey123, and Esri Surveying communities.

Thanks,

Paul.

[Anonymous User]

Side note, I'm using build the following build: Survey123ConnectBeta_x64_3_11_85

Paul

[Anonymous User]

Hi Zach,

I was able  to successfully create this relationship, however when I view the primary survey (parent) data in ArcGIS Online, there is no unique identifier that links to the child survey (like the child's GlobalID). How is it determined what child survey attaches to the parent survey? Do you have thoughts on how when completing the secondary survey, it can write it's GlobalID into the primary survey's feature service when it is completed and sent? Is there a work-around?

Paul

ArcGIS Survey123‌

[DougBrowning]

I have 10 forms that I all link together this way with Collector bringing it all together.  The key was to use my own key.  See my post here for more Mapping with Survey123 within a polygon or admin unit 

I do not use globalid for relationships for a number of reasons.  See that discussion here https://community.esri.com/thread/166958 

Hope that helps

[Anonymous User · Accepted solution]

Hi Doug and thanks for the response. I figured another work-around. Rather than adding more complexity into this with alternate applications (since Survey123 is unable to link these surveys), I decided to create a unique field on each form with a unique attribute. When I build reports, the tool (FME) links the two forms with unique ID's and updates the SQL db's as a result. I had to use this ETL app to manage these reports and link them all together. I cant wait for the day when these forms are able to be linked natively in the application. This new process then becomes transparent to the inspectors and is handled through a automated / scheduled process in the background.

Thanks,

Paul