Interactive Libraries
As a creative research agency, you often come up with innovative methodologies and mind-blowing surveys. Some of these forward-thinking surveys might include your proprietary methodologies and represent the edge that you keep over your competition. Flagship surveys like these should be easy to reuse, as templated surveys.
From version 5.4 onwards, AskiaSuite is packed with automation features, and the interactive libraries capability in AskiaDesign is one of them. This feature allows the insertion of special keywords into the long caption of a question inside the library and this in turn allows you to create interactive libraries.
Saving an example of an interactive library file
The QEX file below contains a small interactive library template. With the very same template, you can produce two questionnaires that will have a similar structure, but totally different questions, all within seconds.
- Download the example QEX
- Open the example QEX in Design 5.4.4 and above.
- Select all the questions from the question tree on the left, then right-click and select "add to the local library".
- Give it a name. You can now re-use this template to produce new surveys.
Using an example interactive library
- Open a blank questionnaire.
- Open from the toolbar icon.
- Drag and drop your library item into the question tree on the left.
- Answer the wizard's questions.
Output Example 1 : Beverage scenario
Output Example 2 : Banking scenario
Read a list of responses from a database or XLS
If you add the following text, the interactive library will read all the responses contained in the spreadsheet. The first field will be used for the name of the response, the second for the entry code and the third for a resource path . . .
@@BeerList|Insert list of Beers|||database|Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:\Qes\Me\BeersList.xlsx;Extended Properties="Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR=YES"|SELECT Brand,ID,Res FROM [Sheet2$] Order by Brand@@
So the @@ delimiter works like this . . .
@@Name|LongMessage|Options|ShortMessage|TypeOfImport|connectionstring|query@@
Check the BeerTemplate.qex or the BeerListTemplate.qex for a working example. Download the XLS file and the images and then update the path of the file in the QEX.
Insert a whole survey
You can use the ~~ upload delimiter. Put the following code in a long caption of a chapter or a question:
~~Survey file|qex|Survey:|C:\Qes\Me\Demographics.qex~~
So the upload delimiter works like this:
~~LongMessage|Extensions|ShortMessage|FilePath~~
Check the MasterSurvey.qex to see how this works.
Create your own generic template
Syntax recap
Syntax | Used in | Example | Description |
##Variable_Name|Wizard_description## | Long caption, short caption, ADC properties, response caption | ##productype|Please enter your product type...## | Makes a caption interactive. The wizard will ask the survey scripter to set the value of "productype". It will then be replaced throughout the questionnaire. |
##Variable_Name## | Long caption, short caption, ADC properties, response caption | How well do you know the ##productype## product ? | Re-use an interactive caption throughout the questionnaire. |
@@List_items|Wizard_description@@ | Response caption | @@brandlist|please enter a list of brands@@ | Makes a list of items interactive. The wizard will prompt the survey scripter to fill in a list of items, which can then be re-used throughout the questionnaire. |
@@List_items@@ | Response caption | @@brandlist@@ | Re-use a list of items. |
@@Name|LongMessage|Options|ShortMessage|TypeOfImport|connectionstring|query@@ | Response caption (5.4.9 minimum) | @@brandlist|Insert list of brands|||database|Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=C:\Askia\Suite5490\BrandList.xlsx;Extended Properties="Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR=YES"|SELECT Brand,ID,Country FROM [Sheet1$] WHERE Country="##Country##" Order by Brand@@ |
Import a list of brands and corresponding entry codes from an external database or xlsx. (https://www.connectionstrings.com/). The first field will be used for the name of the response, the second for the entry code and the third for a resource path |
##Scenario=scenario1;scenario2|Wizard_description## | Shortcut caption, routing description | ##productype=beer;juice|Select a scenario## |
The wizard will ask the survey scripter to choose between scenario "beer" and "juice".
|
&&Scenario=scenario1&&Shortcut | Shortcut caption | &&productype=beer&&Beer_awareness | The question "beer_awareness" will only be added in the questionnaire for the scenario "beer" |
&&Scenario=scenario1&&Response Caption | Response caption | &&productype=beer&&Corona | The response "Corona" will only be added in the questionnaire in the list of responses for the scenario "beer" |
&&Scenario=scenario1&& | Routing description | &&productype=beer&& | The routing will only be added to the questionnaire for the scenario "beer" |
~~extensions|Wizard_description~~ | Resources name | ~~bmp;jpg;png|Please enter a logo for the brand~~ |
Makes a resource interactive. The wizard will prompt the survey scripter to select a resource to use. The extensions need to be separated by ;... but you can also use "bitmap" or "video" or "audio" which will offer the correct filtering. |
~~LongMessage|Extensions|ShortMessage|FilePath~~ | LongCaption (5.4.9 minimum) | ~~Survey file|qex|Survey:|C:\Askia\Suite5490\BrandTemplate.qex~~ |
Import a whole survey somewhere in a master template |
Following the same process as the example, and using the syntax above, you can now add custom interactive items to your library.