Fwd: Re: [phpesp-dev] choices from table rather than phpesp:question_choice

[Brian W. <br...@uc...>]

>Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 10:31:30 -0700
>To: Chad Bearden <ch...@be...>
>From: Brian Wood <br...@uc...>
>Subject: Re: [phpesp-dev] choices from table rather than 
>phpesp:question_choice
>
>Hi Chad,
>
>I haven't read survey_update(), but here are couple of quick comments:
>
>Sounds like your are thinking of having survey_update() (or a 
>function  that it calls) run the entered sql query and insert the needed 
>fields into the response_* tables.  An interesting alternative might be to 
>create a new type of response (which I think would require a new response_ 
>table): response_dynamic (or something).  The response_dynamic table would 
>store the _actual_sql_ for a multiple choice question.  When the survey is 
>displayed the selectmenu/radio/checkbox etc list would be built on the fly 
>by executing the sql.  The advantage that this offers is that if you 
>change the data that the multichoice question is built from (i.e. you 
>add/delete a dental clinic) that change would be reflected the next time a 
>user fills out a survey.  ...of course changing data will affect reporting 
>statistics...
>
>Also, asking a designer to enter sql in a "create question" form will work 
>for programmers, but in my system I'm trying to do everything possible to 
>make the creation of a survey as simple as possible for non-techie 
>employees.  This is not to say that your function wouldn't be a nice 
>"power user" option.  Perhaps a future version of this fuctionality could 
>allow "power users" to define dynamic multiple choice questions that could 
>then be selected by other designers from a menu of common question choices 
>(e.g. <option>dental clinics, <option>dental clinics-New York state, 
><option>hair cutting schools....)
>
>Brian
>
>At 12:07 PM 5/28/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>>I'm looking for any comments you might have on the following:
>>
>>I've been toying around with the idea of grabbing choices for questions 
>>from other db tables rather than having to type them into the create 
>>survey interface.  I believe someone else came up with the idea but after 
>>searching the message archive I can't quite track who...  Anyway, the 
>>idea goes something like this...
>>
>>When creating a new question rather than listing choices that may just be 
>>duplication of another table in your database enter a sql query and have 
>>phpESP do the work for you.
>>
>>example:  let's say you want to list all of the dental clinics for a 
>>respondent to choose from.  The question text would be:
>>
>>Choose the clinic where you performed the procedures.
>>
>>Question Type could be any type with multiple choices: [Radio, Check 
>>Boxes, Drop Down, Rate]
>>
>>Now instead of typing all of the clinics and possibly creating errors 
>>along the way.  Enter the following special tag and sql.
>>
>>On line 1:
>><sql>select name from clinic order by name</sql>
>>
>>( if the clinic table wasn't in the phpESP db then enter an optional 
>>argument telling the db name, DB::connect() syntax )  like this:
>>
>>On line 1:
>><connect> mysql://user:password@machine_address/db_name</connect>
>>On line 2:
>><sql>select clinic_name from clinic order by clinic_name</sql>
>>
>>Now, when you clicked [New Field] or [Continue] then the choices would be 
>>created for you!
>>
>>Implementation:
>>
>>It looks like survey_update() is the only function involved.  So, my idea 
>>is to trap multiple choice questions that have the <sql> tags and create 
>>the choices automagically.
>>
>>Any comments?
>>
>>chad.
>>
>>
>>
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>
>Brian Wood
>Programmer/Analyst III
>UC Berkeley Human Resources
>230 University Hall
>Berkeley, CA 94720
>Voice: (510) 643-4094

Brian Wood
Programmer/Analyst III
UC Berkeley Human Resources
230 University Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
Voice: (510) 643-4094