Dear all,
I'm so curious with new things related to Open Data Kit. I hope you can
response some of my questions.
Regards,
(1) no clear guidance on this. The basic pieces are in place --
XLSXConverter, ODK Survey UI. We are making changes to the underlying
database as we unify and host all our tools on a common database layer. We
are also changing the way ODK Survey submits data into the stable ODK
Collect pathway.
The general guidance is that if you choose to use the tool, take the ODK
Survey APK, the AppDesigner zip, and the ODK Aggregate submission mechanism
as a "snapshot in time". If that snapshot of code and tools works, then use
it (submitting into the established data pathway). If you need
modifications, we don't have the resources to support that.
w.r.t. timelines, I expect the last database and legacy submission change
to be complete by fall. This would enable you to design forms, gather data
with ODK Survey, and submit that data into ODK Aggregate's 1.x data
pipeline. This is the most conservative use of the new tools.
We want to streamline the AppDesigner so that there is less manual cutting
and pasting and intermediate saving of data. That would happen in the fall
and completely redesign the user experience with that tool.
We also expect the new REST api to ODK Aggregate to be stabilized by the
fall, but no ETA on when we consider that bi-directional sync process to be
ready for deployments.
(2) The 1.x tools and the 2.0 tools will co-exist. The 2.0 tools only work
on Android 4.1 and higher. The 1.x tools will be increasingly supported via
community contributions to the codebase and contributed evolutions to the
standards. The focus for the core team at the UW will increasingly shift
toward the 2.0 tools.
(3) ODK Survey can submit data to ODK Aggregate (or any other OpenRosa
server) using the same XML-based submission protocol as ODK Collect does.
It can also exchange data with the server using the new bi-directional
protocol. Obviously, the former is very stable, while the later is still
being developed, improved and stabilized. The data transmission mechanisms
are not exclusive of each other. They operate independently. Though I don't
quite see how that will be very useful in practice.
(4) No. There is no migration tool. While the format of an XLS file is
similar between the two tools, ODK 2.0 tools are entirely based upon
Javascript and HTML, whereas the ODK 1.x tools are based upon XML, XForms
and XPath expressions. This means that all the formulas (constraint,
relevant, required and calculate expressions) have changed and need to be
rewritten to use native javascript with some ODK 2.0-isms.
(5)
(a) answer questions on the opendatakit@ and opendatakit-developer@ list.
This will free up the core team (e.g., my time) to work on the new software.
(b) If you are a form designer without software experience:
Consider using ODK 2.0 Survey for your next small-scale survey. Use ODK
Survey to submit data via the ODK Collect submission mechanisms (this gives
you the stable ODK Aggregate features while learning and providing feedback
on the newer survey tool). I recommend doing this only if you are fairly
confident that you can roll out an ODK Collect-only replacement quiickly in
case of some insurmountable problem. Again, if you do this, you should
consider the version of ODK Survey and of the App Designer to be a
"snapshot" that is not upgradable and not supportable by the core team.
(c) if you are a Java developer with Android experience:
Continue to contribute to the advancement of the ODK 1.x tools. This can be
through contributions of new widgets, discussions of new features and
standardization of features, etc. There are several threads on
opendatakit-developers@ on this. Participate.
If anything on http://code.google.com/p/opendatakit/issues/list catches
your eye, as us specific questions about how we think the issue should be
resolved. Then do the coding and testing to accomplish that.
Or if you are able, we are badly in need of a testing framework for ODK
Collect. It would be great if we could have a test that went through a
series of screen navigations exercising the downloading of a form, the
filling-out of the form, and the submission of that filled-in form to the
opendatakit.appspot.com server.
(d) if you are a Java developer with server experience, ask. There are
several issues, including Google's OpenId shutdown, that need investigation.
Java developer,
Dear all,
I'm so curious with new things related to Open Data Kit. I hope you can
response some of my questions.
- When will ODK team release ODK Survey in product version?
- If the ODK survey release, Will ODK team discontinue develop ODK
Collect?- Does the ODK Survey still use ODK Aggregate at server side?
- Can I upload my xform to ODK Survey? Or Will ODK team develop migration
tool?- How can i help the ODK team because i want to contribute my knowledge
for open source?Regards,
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Mitch Sundt
Software Engineer
University of Washington
mitchellsundt@gmail.com
Dear Mitch,
Thank you very much for your response with good detail.
Regards,
I want to open an ODK collect server, how do I go about it?