Control Types in Multi-Control Question Tables

There are six different controls types that can be used in a Multi-Control Question Tables.  Five of the Controls are used to define a question field and one is used to insert a space between columns.

The Control Types are:

• Empty
• Text Field
• Radio Group
• Pop List
• Check Box
• Check All That Apply

After following the beginning steps to create a Multi-Control Question Table the Survey Programmer will select the Control Types for the Columns within the table.

Example Table:  In this table, the first two columns are Text Fields.  In between the first two columns and the 3rd is an Empty control type. The next 5 columns are part of a Radio Group, with a Column Header of “Guardian Type”.  The 8th column is a Pop List, the 9th column is a Check Box, and the final 3 columns are Check All That Apply with a Column Header of “Previous Childhood Illnesses”.

NOTE: For all Column Headings Piping can be used

Text Field Control Type

Steps

1. Locate the Table Column section in the Columns Tab of the Multi-Control Editor
2. Click on the General Tab
3. Enter a Column Heading to identify the type of information you are requesting in this column
4. Select Text Field in the Control Type drop-down
5. Enter the Variable Prefix for this control.  Every variable in this column will have the same prefix.  For example, in this column we are asking for each child’s name.  Each field that captures a child’s first name will start with CFN_.  The name of the first child will be stored in a Preload/Hidden variable called CFN_1.  The name of the second child will be in a Preload/Hidden Variable called CFN_2, and so on.  Thus the survey designer must define the variable prefix, and then each field down the column will get a numeric sequential suffix starting with “1”.
6. Enter any Show-If logic if desired – See Question Table Syntax for Show-If Operators

7. Click on the Display Properties Tab
8. Enter a Column Width in pixels.  Setting a column width ensures all columns are of equal width.
9. Enter a Label either Before or After the field if appropriate
10. To set the Field Size check the box and enter the desired size – This is the display size of the field, not how many characters are allowed (that is handled on the Validation tab).

11. Click on the Validation Tab
12. Check the box to make this control Required if appropriate
13. If the field will have specific bounds for Minimum and/or Maximum number of characters, check appropriate boxes and enter the max/min values. The default for a Text Field is 255 characters
14. Add a Regular Expression match if needed – See Regular Expression Examples
15. Add a Custom Error Message if desired
16. Click the Add Column Button

17. The Column will show in the list above the Table Column Configuration Field

18. To add another Control, go back to the general tab and repeat for another Text Field Control or follow the steps below for the other types of controls.

Radio Group Control Type

Steps

1. Locate the Table Column section in the Columns Tab of the Mult-Control Editor
2. Click on the General Tab
3. Enter a Column Heading
4. Select Radio Group in the Control Type drop-down
5. Enter the Variable Prefix for this control.  As with Text control type, the user defines a variable prefix for each of the cells in this column.
6. The  Define local response options:  Users have the option of defining the scale for the radio group options within the multi-control editor, or within the Preload/Hidden variables created later to store the response to the radio group selection.  It is generally recommended to NOT check “Define local response options” and instead create the scale in the Preload/Hidden variables, as doing so will provide for more flexibility in querying your data in the data manager.

7. Enter any Show-If logic if desired – See Question Table Syntax for Show-If Operators

8. Click on the Display Properties Tab
9. Enter the desired Column Width in pixels
10. Click on the Validation Tab
11. Check to make this a required column if desired.
12. Enter a custom error message if desired.

13. Click on the Randomize Tab
14. Check if the Options should be Randomized and the Method for the Randomization
15. Click the Add Column Button

Pop List Control Type

The Pop List Control Type follows the same steps as the Radio Group Control Type, except that the control type of Pop List is chosen instead of Radio Group.

Creating the Corresponding Preload/Hidden Variables

A Preload/Hidden variable must be created to capture the value for each cell in the multi-control table.  For control type of poplist and radio button, if you did not check “Define local response options”, you will need to define the scale on the Scale tab of the Preload/Hidden variable editor.  For larger tables, it is most efficient to create a single preload variable with the correct scale defined, and then using cntrl+c to Copy the Preload/Hidden variable, and then cntrol+ V to paste, and then just edit the name and the description.

The names of your Preload/Hidden variables need to match the prefixes you defined in the table editor.  Thus if column one’s prefix is CFN_, and the table has 5 rows, you will need to create 5 Preload/Hidden variables named CFN_1, CFN_2, CFN_3, CFN_4, and CFN_5.

Check Box Control Type

Steps

1. In the Table Column configuration field in the Columns Tab of the Mult-Control Editor
2. Click on the General Tab
3. Enter the Column Heading if it is appropriate – Piping can be used
4. Select Check Box in the Control Type drop-down
5. Enter the Variable Prefix for this control
6. Enter any Show-If logic if desired
7. Click on the Display Properties Tab
8. Enter the desired Column Width
9. Click on the Validation Tab
10. Check the box to make it Required
11. Add a Custom Error Message if desired
12. Click the Add Column Button

Check All That Apply Control Type

Steps

1. In the Table Column configuration field in the Columns Tab of the Multi-Control Editor
2. Click on the General Tab
3. Enter the Column Heading – Piping can be used
4. Select Check All That Apply in the Control Type drop-down
5. Enter the Variable Prefix for this control
6. NOTE: A Hidden Variable must be created for each of the checkbox responses in a Check All question, for each row in the table.  For example, if you have two checkbox responses (e.g. Attended, Graduated) and two rows in the table (e.g. “1. High School”, “2. College Undergraduate”), you will need to create four variables (e.g. ATTEND_1, GRAD_1, ATTEND_2, GRAD_2).

7. Enter any Show-If logic if desired
8. Click on the Display Properties Tab
9. Enter the desired Column Width

10. Click on the Validation Tab
11. Select Min Checked and Max Checked to set limits
12. Add a Custom Error Message if desired
13. Click on the Randomize Tab
14. Check if the Options should be Randomized and the Method and Arguments for the Randomization
15. Click the Add Column Button

To Define Local Responses

1. Open the Runtime Content Object
2. Go to Configure / Columns /General
3. Check the – Define local response options – check box.  This will activate the Response Options tab.
4. Click on the Response Options Tab
5. In the Name Field enter the Column Name for the Check box – This will be part of the header in the dataset – The Names must be exactly the same as those created in the Hidden Variable.
6. In the Heading Field enter the visible response option – This may be different from those used in the Hidden Variable and supersede those in the Hidden Variable
7. Click Add
8. Repeat for all response options

 

Empty Column Control Type

Steps

1. In the Table Column configuration field in the Columns Tab of the Multi-Control Editor
2. Click on the General Tab
3. Enter the Column Heading if it is appropriate – Piping can be used
4. Click on the Display Properties Tab
5. Enter the desired Column Width
6. Enter any CSS Style information for both the Cell or Heading
7. Click Add Column
8. The Space will show as an X in the Variable Prefix column. If there is a Header for the Space it will show under Column Heading.
9. The space can be moved to any desired location in the list by clicking and dragging