Can you create the name of the instance from different variables?

Support
1

hi all,
sorry if this has already been asked. i looked but couldn't find.
rather than letting the field collectors make mistakes, i would like to
auto-suggest the name of the instance.
using xlsform, i would like to generate this name using different
variables (sitename + date + type of site)
can this easily be done?
respect,
bill

2

Bill,

Yes you can.

From the changelog of Collect 1.3: "If a meta/instanceName field is
defined in a form, the non-empty value of that field will be used as
the instanceName when the form is saved (and the user will be unable
to alter it). Otherwise, the pre-1.3 instance naming treatment will be
used. By defining this as a calculated field, the form designer can
control the naming of the submission instances."

Yaw

··· -- Need ODK help? Go to http://nafundi.com for custom features, form design, implementation support, and user training for ODK.

On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 8:39 AM, Bill Olander billyolander@gmail.com wrote:

hi all,
sorry if this has already been asked. i looked but couldn't find.
rather than letting the field collectors make mistakes, i would like to
auto-suggest the name of the instance.
using xlsform, i would like to generate this name using different
variables (sitename + date + type of site)
can this easily be done?
respect,
bill

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1 Like
3

thanks Yaw!

··· On Friday, May 31, 2013 8:35:13 PM UTC, Yaw Anokwa wrote: > > Bill, > > Yes you can. > > From the changelog of Collect 1.3: "If a meta/instanceName field is > defined in a form, the non-empty value of that field will be used as > the instanceName when the form is saved (and the user will be unable > to alter it). Otherwise, the pre-1.3 instance naming treatment will be > used. By defining this as a calculated field, the form designer can > control the naming of the submission instances." > > Yaw > -- > Need ODK help? Go to http://nafundi.com for custom features, form > design, implementation support, and user training for ODK. > > > On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 8:39 AM, Bill Olander <billyo...@gmail.com> wrote: > > hi all, > > sorry if this has already been asked. i looked but couldn't find. > > rather than letting the field collectors make mistakes, i would like > to > > auto-suggest the name of the instance. > > using xlsform, i would like to generate this name using different > > variables (sitename + date + type of site) > > can this easily be done? > > respect, > > bill > > > > -- > > -- > > Post: opend...@googlegroups.com > > Unsubscribe: opendatakit...@googlegroups.com > > Options: http://groups.google.com/group/opendatakit?hl=en > > > > --- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > "ODK Community" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send > an > > email to opendatakit...@googlegroups.com . > > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > > >
4

Be aware that there is a bug reported (
http://code.google.com/p/opendatakit/issues/detail?id=836 ) that can crash
Collect if the instanceName ends up blank. So be sure to ensure the
calculated value is non-empty (e.g., that all the fields it uses are
required fields).

I haven't had a chance to look into this; the crash will be fixed in the
next release.

··· On Mon, Jun 3, 2013 at 6:58 AM, Bill Olander wrote:

thanks Yaw!

On Friday, May 31, 2013 8:35:13 PM UTC, Yaw Anokwa wrote:

Bill,

Yes you can.

From the changelog of Collect 1.3: "If a meta/instanceName field is
defined in a form, the non-empty value of that field will be used as
the instanceName when the form is saved (and the user will be unable
to alter it). Otherwise, the pre-1.3 instance naming treatment will be
used. By defining this as a calculated field, the form designer can
control the naming of the submission instances."

Yaw

Need ODK help? Go to http://nafundi.com for custom features, form
design, implementation support, and user training for ODK.

On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 8:39 AM, Bill Olander billyo...@gmail.com wrote:

hi all,
sorry if this has already been asked. i looked but couldn't find.
rather than letting the field collectors make mistakes, i would like
to
auto-suggest the name of the instance.
using xlsform, i would like to generate this name using different
variables (sitename + date + type of site)
can this easily be done?
respect,
bill

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Mitch Sundt
Software Engineer
University of Washington
mitchellsundt@gmail.com

1 Like