Forms
Last updated
Last updated
Forms are one of the most versatile tools for data collection in a project.
Please note that a table or multiple tables must be created before a form is created to capture data. A form cannot capture and send information to a non-existent table. You must specify where the data a form collects is supposed to go in your project.
There is offline form functionality for remote data collection.
If one views the content of a newly created one should see the buttons to edit the form or to create new sections in the form. Questions are organised into sections.
One can add a section by selecting the appropriate button.
To create and save a section a name must be provided.
One can delete a section by selecting the delete button for the relevant section.
After a named section has been created one can add a question.
One can edit the newly created question by selecting the drop down menu. Alternatively one can create another question or add another question.
One can specify the question with a limited number of characters.
The description allows one to add more detail if necessary. The description length limit is much larger than the question itself.
One must specify the type of data that the question is supposed to collect. Examples include
One can specify if an answer for the question is required to submit the form.
One can also opt to make a question hidden or not visible to a submitter. This is useful for capturing data like the date of submission and other information without any mistakes or meddling from a form submitter.
One can specify the maximum and minimum length of a text based question.
One can optionally add an icon for the question and test for the icon.
One must specify a table and column with the appropriate data type wherein a submitted answer should be placed. The platform automatically filters to show only columns with the same data type as the question. Without a link to a table, one cannot add a question.
The drop down menu to edit the question also presents the option to delete the question and remove it.
If one views the contents of a form and select the gear icon for the form settings.
One can modify the name of the form.
One can customise the layout or appearance of a form.
It is possible to specify colours for the form. This is especially useful for collecting field data in challenging lighting conditions. Accessibility for vision-impaired persons or colour blindness is also a consideration.
One can restrict a form to require a user to be logged into the Information Hub to submit a form.
The choice to delete a form is also available.
Sharing
One can share created forms with a URL link by selecting the share button. Simply copy and paste the URL to share the link with collaborators or submitters.
