FormReturn reconciles the captured responses from your forms by linking the processed data to a data table containing your records. (Each processed form must reconcile with a record, or forms that are anonymous must reconcile with an empty data table.) Source Data is the part of FormReturn's database used to create
and store your data tables and add or edit field names and records. Your chosen data table is
then selected during publication of the form template. The Form ID Barcode added to each form page, will store the form's publication information and reconcile it with the processed responses and the records they belong to, so they appear together in Captured Data.
Choose the Source Data Icon from the application toolbar to access
Source Data.
Add Tables
Add Fieldnames
Order Index of Fieldnames for exported data
Add Records
Publications
Import records
Export records
Publications
Identification of Forms and Reconciliation of Captured Responses with a Data Table.
The Tables tab is chosen when you want to select, add or update data tables or fieldnames for records.
When the Tables tab is selected a list of the tables that have been created in Source Data is shown in the tables application window.
To add a new table choose Add New from the Tables panel.
In the dialog box that opens type the name for the Table and click OK.
The new Table Name will be shown in the list.
Add Fieldnames for a data Table
The fieldnames added for the selected data table are shown in the Field Name panel.
To Add or update fieldnames for a data Table, select the table from the Table Name list.
In the Fields panel choose Add New.
In the Add New Field dialog box, type a Field Name (note: make sure the fieldname you type is not the same as any other fieldname that will appear in captured data eg: such as form_id which is a default fieldname used by FormReturn)
In the Order Index field - type the column order - this is order of where the fieldname will appear in exported captured data.
Eg: When your captured data is exported to a spreadsheet - you might want firstname to appear first, so the Order Index would be 1; lastname to appear second, so the Order Index would be 2 ;and student_ID to appear third, so the Order Index would be 3.
Click OK.
Order Index of fieldnames for exported data.
When the captured response data is exported to a spreadsheet, you can choose which order you want fieldnames, to appear on the spreadsheet, by numbering the Order Index of the fieldnames.
Eg: the fieldname called firstname, has an Order Index of 1, so it will appear in the first column after 0(zero) on the spreadsheet, studentID has an Order Index of 3 so it will apear in the third column after 0(zero) on the spreadsheet.
View a Screencast on Ordering and naming the columns of your exported data.
Add Records to a Source Data Table
When the Records tab is selected a list of the records which have been added for each fieldname in the selected table are shown in the application window.
To add new records click on the Add New button in the Records panel.
To edit records click the Edit button in the Records panel.
Table Name - name of the table you have selected.
Refresh - update any data records that have been recently added.
Add New - Add new records.
Edit - Edit existing records.
Import - will open the Import Records dialog box which is used to import records from a CSV file saved on your computer, or another database using JDBC.
Delete will remove any selected records.
Export Selected - Exports a data table record or a selection of records to a CSV file.
Export All - Exports all the records in the selected table to a CSV file.
In the dialog box select the Field Name you want to add a record for.
In Field Data type the record name.
Click the Update button and the new record will be shown in the list. Choose another fieldname to edit or click the Save button to finish editing the record.
Repeat the last 2 steps to add more records.
Publications
Clicking the Publications tab will show you the publications that have been performed using the selected data table.
Selecting a publication and choosing the Export to PDF button will save the selected publication to a PDF file. The PDF File can be saved to a location on your computer, forms can be printed from it at any time.
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Import Records
Importing Records using CSV import feature:
Steps:
1. Create a spreadsheet with just the data you want to import. The first line must contain the field names, the other lines contain the data.
2. Save the spreadsheet using "save as", and choose the type of file to save it as. Save as a text delimited (csv)... and if it asks you further questions, select double quote and comma as the delimiter.
Text from the spreadsheet saved as a CSV file
3. Create a table in formreturn by clicking on the source data button, then clicking add new in the table panel and give the table a name.
4. Select the new table that you created by clicking on it, then click the records tab.
5. Click the import button and in the Import dialog click Select File and choose the CSV file. Click Import Records.
The records will be imported into the selected data table.
Importing Records using JDBC import feature:
Steps:
1. Find the JDBC driver jar file for the database you want to connect to. This can be done by searching google... most major databases have a JDBC connector file.
2. Get the class name of the driver file you have to use, this will usually be on the download page of the driver file.
3. Add the class name to the protocol area of the JDBC import dialog.
4. Select the driver file you downloaded from your disk by clicking the browse button.
5. Add any connection information into the url wizzard, then click create URL.
7. Add your SELECT query, this is SQL that will be passed directly to your database.
8. You can preview the query's results, or import the data immediately by clicking one of the options on the button bar below.
Export Records
Data tables and records are easily exported to a spreadsheet by saving them to a CSV File.
- Choose the Tables tab and select the table which holds the records, then choose the Records tab.
- Choose the Export Selected to export selected records. To select a number of the records hold down the command or control key and click them with the mouse.
- Choose Export All, to export all the records in the table.
In the dialog box that opens, type a Save As name and choose a location on your computer then click Save.
Open the CSV File from where it was saved and Click OK.
The file will be exported to a
spreadsheet which will open in whichever office package you have
installed on your computer.
Table Name - The Source Data table used for the publications listed in the application window.
Refresh - To refresh recent publications
Delete - Delete selected publications
Print - Print the forms from the selected publication.
Export to PDF - Saves the forms of the selected publication to a PDF file.
Publications Panel
Identification of Forms and Reconciliation of Captured Responses with a Data Table.
Any one of 3 methods can be
used to identify forms and to reconcile the captured response data with the published form template it belongs to and your data
table. or
It is also possible to publish an anonymous form template for general surveys, which will reconcile with an empty data table.
Method 1. Form Id (barcode) Reconciles captured data with your Data Table Records and Template Variable Replacement identifies who the form belongs to.
Template Variable Replacement,
(similar to mail merge) replaces fieldnames typed onto the template, with records from your data table. It is the easiest method of form identification in FormReturn.
When the form template is published, the Publication type, Form ID Reconciles - Append Only, is chosen.
A unique form for each recipient, one for each record in your Source Data table is published and printed.
This publication type causes the response data captured from every form, to reconcile and append to the record it belongs to, and stores them together in captured data.
Method 2. A Key Field (OMR ID grid) Reconciles captured data with your Data Table Records and identifies who the form belongs to.
An OMR ID Grid is added to the segment using the checkbox tool, for capturing ID numbers. Good when you want pre-printed forms on hand.
When the form template is published, one of the Key Field Reconciles Publication Types is chosen.
A single form is published which can be copied as
many times as needed using a printer, scanner or recent model
photocopier.
Key Field Reconciles - Append Only - This publication type causes the captured ID numbers to reconcile the captured response data with the corresponding records in the data table and store them together in Captured Data.
Key Field Reconciles - Append or New Record - This publication type causes the captured ID numbers to reconcile the
captured response data with the corresponding records in the data table or it will generate a new empty record. The captured data is stored with the record and published form template it belongs to in Captured Data.
Method 3. A Key Field (Your Barcode Label) Reconciles captured data with your Data Table Records and identifies who the form belongs to.
A Barcode area
is added to the segment part of the form and used for affixing a
barcode label of your own which contains the respondent's identity and reconciles the captured response data
with the record in your data table.
When the form template is published, one of the Key Field Reconciles Publication Types is chosen.
Key Field Reconciles - Append Only
- This publication type causes the captured barcode label to reconcile the
captured response data with the corresponding records in the data table
and store them together in Captured Data.
Key Field Reconciles - Append or New Record
- This publication type causes the captured barcode label to reconcile the
captured response data with the corresponding records in the data table
or it will generate a new empty record. The captured data is stored
with the record and published form template it belongs to in Captured Data.
Anonymous Forms
When you want to collect response information from a general survey, but the respondents don't want to be identified, you can publish and print forms with no means of identification.
The form template must still have a Form ID Barcode added to link the captured data to the publication and an empty source data table for reconciliation purposes.
Publication Types for Anonymous Form Templates:
Form ID: The Publication type called Form ID Reconciles - Append Only is chosen when the template is being published.
A single form will be published from the template which is printed into multiple copies.
The captured response data is reconciled with the empty data table, using the form ID barcode.
Key Field: The Key Field Reconciles - Append or New Record Publication Type. This will cause a new automatically generated record to be created in the empty data table for each form processed. When the form template is published, a single form will be published and printed which can be copied as many times as needed using a printer, scanner or recent model photocopier.