Empty value returned by pulldata function

Support
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1

1. What is the issue? Please be detailed.
We have used the pulldata function without issue for several years in several different survey forms. However, pulldata returns only blanks in a new form we are developing. Any help toward a solution would be greatly appreciated.

ODK Collect v2025.3.1
ODK Central versions:
e4221ebeb41cd6ccb0cedad0461e5b603c207339 (v2024.3.2-1-ge4221eb)
8b1de6512faa7a60c05764312caec01f5c138c42 client (v2024.3.2)
7574030f7ea8750f3837950001a5efcdeba45b92 server (v2024.3.1)

2. What steps can we take to reproduce this issue?

A sample XLSform and csv file are attached.

3. What have you tried to fix the issue?

o Checked and rechecked syntax against similar pulldata questions in earlier forms. pulldata continues to work fine in the earlier forms, but the same syntax fails in the new form.

o Found online documentation on pulldata and checked syntax against the examples provided.

o Isolated the problem questions to a simplified test form (attached). Tried rendering the numeric ID values in the csv file as text. Result: pulldata still returns only blanks.

4. Upload any forms or screenshots you can share publicly below.

NP_test.xlsx (11.8 KB)

WD_NP_test.csv (65 Bytes)

2

Hello @Hayden_Boyd

The problem with your form seems to be the conversion (rendering numerical IDs to text). By default, pulldata()` returns strings and conversion won’t be necessary (if it was, you would need additional calculate to i.e.: convert string back to integer). To fix the issue, please use pulldata('WD_NP_test', 'Synod', 'ID_key', ${ID_key})instead of pulldata('WD_NP_test', 'Synod', 'ID_key', '${ID_key}')

If you are testing using web-forms, the search() tag in appearance won’t work (I am assuming it’s still pending implementation in the new web-forms). Alternatively, your form would work fine (collect and web-forms) using select_one_from_file as long as the csv has at least name and label columns.

Hoping this helps,

Best,

Jules R

1 Like
3

Excellent! This small change completely fixed the problem. Thanks, Jules! – Hayden

2 Likes