Hi All,
This is Chandru,
DTSV2.xlsx (51.3 KB)
This is my xlsx form which has contains so many fields, most of them are repeated one. in the relevat logics I have given all the logics. So in this form my pain point in the submission sheet contains too many fields to get and report the data. Is it possible to drill down the fields or make it as linking two forms or using 1:many forms (those who are many fileds make it as a separate form). which method is feasible one.
In the media files contains
activity (1).csv (1.8 KB)
Project, roles, schools.
Totally i have 226 fields can be saved in the backend central server why because below 80 easy to report the data, is it possible to drill down below 80 fields or we can work it as a parent and child relationship (1:many forms). which method is feasible to achieve this solution.
If we work on parent to child , in a parent form without knowing the user it will go the child form. so basicaly two separate csv file. based on the reference id will get those details.(how to do these kind of logics also if possible)
Please let me know the feasible solution.
Thanks & Regards,
Chandru
Hi @Chandrasekar_ganesan ! 
The most effective solution in this case - whether you need to generate separate child files or reports - is to design a data analysis script.
This can be achieved using various data analysis tools such as Python, R, or STATA, but the easiest and most accessible approach would be using Power Query in Microsoft Excel. By utilizing an OData feed to the form, you can maintain live links to the data collected using this form, enabling automated reporting for this form.
Hope this helps! 
Hi @MinimalPotato
Thanks for the reply, I will go with child form so can you please tell me like how to create child forms , how can I relate parent form and child form.
Thanks
Chandru
Hi @Chandrasekar_ganesan !
If you want to split a form into a parent form with multiple child forms, you'll need to assign a unique ID that links the forms together. For example:
Parent Forms:
| ParentID |
ParentForm |
ParentData |
| QWERTY763 |
Information |
ParentData(A) |
| QWERTY232 |
Information |
ParentData(B) |
Child Forms:
| ChildID |
ChildForm |
ChildData |
| QWERTY763 |
Teachers |
SomeData(A) |
| QWERTY763 |
Students |
SomeData(B) |
| QWERTY232 |
Teachers |
SomeData(C) |
From the above, we can see that the child forms with ID QWERTY763 (2 instances) belong to the parent form with the same ID. Similarly, QWERTY232 has a corresponding child form. This structure helps establish a clear parent-child relationship when designing forms and managing relational data.
Tip: If database design interests you, I highly recommend checking out one of my favorite books: [Designing Data-Intensive Applications, O'REILLY], which covers various best practices for database structuring.
Apart from the above;
- Formulating Unique IDs - Typically, IDs are generated by concatenating specific responses within the form, ensuring they follow a structured format.
- Minimizing Errors in Parent-Child Processes - ODK Central offers Entities (recommended for convenience) and Media files (an older approach requiring manual processing and re-uploading) to make this process easier and minimize the errors. Entities (do check Offline Entities as well) allow data from the parent form to populate child forms as needed or enable validation checks based on collected parent data if necessary.
By implementing this structure, you can efficiently design a parent-child data collection model while ensuring consistency and accuracy.
Hope this helps! 