Survey123 Return results with CONTAINS function?

[Anonymous User]

Hi all,

I have a survey and I want to find a value in a string that is after the "="  sign. Where if the value they select contains FAC, FACW or OBL after the equal sign - then answer YES to a dominant species of vegetation.  If it is a no, then No is automatically selected in dominant species.

Just not sure how to format this formula in the survey:

if(selected(${VegetationPlantNames} contains 'FAC", or 'FACW' or 'OBL') after "=" THEN TreeStratumDominantSpeciesYN = 'YES'

Please help.

See attached survey.

Thanks,

Paul

[Anonymous User]

I understand the CONTAINS returns a true or false. Is there another way to search within a string in Survey123?

[DougBrowning]

Having the HTML in there does make it harder.  You syntax is wrong but you may just be showing an example.

Looking at your sheet what you want to check is always at the end.  So how about something like this

conatins(substr(question, string-length(question)-4, string-length(question)), "FACW")

then add the rest on the same way with with an "or" in between (note you could do -3 for the rest but -4 should also work).

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks Doug,

I have the following as the expression (for testing):

selected(${VegetationToReportYN},'Yes') and contains(substr(TreeStratumPlantNames, string-length(TreeStratumPlantNames)-3, string-length(TreeStratumPlantNames)), "ACW")

I think it is searching the entire external_choices section and always comes back passing the criteria. That above statement is in this line:

select_one yes_no

TreeStratumDominantSpeciesYN

<center><font size="1">Dominant Species:</font></center>

under relevant.  Is this how it should work, because I only want TreeStratumDominantSpeciesYN to be YES if this condition is valid for the selected tree Otherwise, it will be "No". Do you additional thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Paul

[DougBrowning]

I am not seeing the field TreeStratumPlantNames.  Should it be VegetationPlantNames?

This works

selected(${VegetationToReportYN},'Yes') and contains(substr(${VegetationPlantNames}, string-length(${VegetationPlantNames})-3, string-length(${VegetationPlantNames})), "ACW")

[DougBrowning]

Oh and you are missing the field syntax ${}.  Not sure if you just were giving an example or you missed that.

[Anonymous User]

My apologies, I have made a few changes to my local form. Please use the name (VegetationPlantNames) in the posted form, not (TreeStrarumPlantNames).

[DougBrowning · Accepted solution]

See above this works for me

selected(${VegetationToReportYN},'Yes') and contains(substr(${VegetationPlantNames}, string-length(${VegetationPlantNames})-3, string-length(${VegetationPlantNames})), "ACW")

[Anonymous User]

Thanks, that worked!

Have a great day and thanks again for the guidance.

Paul

[DougBrowning]

Great.  Note I would not put that HTML code in the name field.  It will be in your data forever and that will be a nightmare.  I you really want the colors put them in the label column only.

I also see commas in your lists.  Cannot do that.