Getting started with the Edit applet (Survey Editor)

Editing and adding survey content can be accomplished in two different ways, via the Edit applet (also called the Survey Editor) or the IntelliBuilder (IB) applet. IB is our front-end, menu-based, survey creation tool which allows you to build your survey without knowing or using our survey programming language (SPL). The Survey Editor allows you to program directly in the survey source code on the back-end, and although it is the fastest and most flexible method, it does require familiarity with our SPL.

While Client Coordinators can do light work in IB such as control users and quotas, you must be a Client Editor/Client Coordinator Editor or greater to build and edit survey content via IB. In order to access the survey source and create or edit content directly in the SPL, you must be an Editor, Manager, or the Survey Owner.

Not sure which method of survey creation is for you?

• If you need to update one or two items, perhaps edit only text, and/or do not feel you comprehend source code, try IB.
  • See Creating survey elements and Editing surveys with IntelliBuilder for details on how to create and edit content.
• If you need to update multiple items, adjust any conditional logic "behind the scenes," prepare the survey for translations, or "see how it all connects," use the Survey Editor. 

If you are familiar with the Edit applet and ready to add and edit your content, read Creating and editing survey content with the Edit applet. If you are ready to submit and publish your survey, read Submitting and publishing survey content with the Edit applet.

Opening the Edit applet

To edit the survey source, click on the Structure button group in the Survey Navigation menu and click Edit. If you do not have access to this menu item and you believe you should, please reach out to a Support agent.

There is also an Editor Mode button available on the Survey Dashboard menu bar in the upper-right corner of the screen. Click on this button and select Survey Source.

If you are already in IB, you can also click on the Editor Mode button in the menu bar in the upper-right corner to switch to the Survey Source edit mode. 

This launches the Edit applet/Survey Editor which features a text editor in which code can be copied to or written/edited directly. 

The menu bar includes five actionable buttons, as well as a reminder that all source code changes will be in "Dev" (Development) mode by default (e.g., not published).

The menu bar offers the following actions:

• Editor Mode - Changes the editing mode from IntelliBuilder to Survey Source, and vice versa, for all survey users. 
• AutoSave - Turns the autosave feature on/off and establishes the frequency in minutes.
• Restart - Resets the survey code to the current published version or last saved draft.
• Save Draft - Saves the survey source as the latest draft.
• Split Pane - Divides the editor pane into two vertical or horizontal panes.

Editor Mode

IntelliSurvey has two editing modes which can be selected from the Editor Mode menu: IntelliBuilder and Survey Source. IB is our menu-based survey creation tool which guides you through the survey setup and creation process without requiring any "coding" on the backend. The Survey Editor allows you to program directly in the survey source with our SPL.

The mode you selected when creating the survey will be the mode you return to unless you switch modes. If you have the correct permissions, you can click on Editor Mode to switch back and forth.

AutoSave

Click on the AutoSave button to automatically save your survey changes and avoid any edits potentially being lost. Once clicked, a modal will appear on screen asking you to confirm the autosave feature should be turned on, and at what frequency. You can use the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the time entered by one (1) minute intervals. Alternatively, you can type in the amount of time desired; decimal points are allowed. Click OK to confirm or click Cancel to exit the modal.

Once the AutoSave frequency interval has been set, a message will appear next to the survey name at the top of the screen, alerting the user that AutoSave has been activated and the time of the last save. To deactivate the AutoSave feature, click the AutoSave button again; the message will disappear, confirming it was deactivated.

Restart

The Restart button is very similar to a "reset" button. It provides the option to revert the survey source to the current published version, revert it to the last saved draft, or to cancel and close the modal.

Save Draft

The Save Draft button saves a draft of the current survey source. This is also achieved with the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+S on a PC or ⌘+S on a Mac. Saving a draft permits users to save source code in the application without the need to parse it (submit and process it). When a draft is saved in this manner, it is accessible to all other users who have permission to open the Edit applet. It remains accessible until another draft is saved, or until the survey source is submitted and compiled (built). Note, only one saved draft can exist at a time. Once this button is clicked, a confirmation message will appear.

Split Pane

When programming a longer survey, often times it is useful to view earlier lines of code without having to repeatedly scroll back and forth to copy or review code. Survey creators/editors have the ability to split the code window into two panes, either vertically or horizontally, to compare code segments. 

There are two ways to split the pane. The first way is to select the Split Pane button in the menu bar. A dropdown menu will appear, and you can select Vertical or Horizontal. If the pane is already split, you can remove the split by selecting None. 

When the pane is split vertically, the new panel will be on the right; when it is split horizontally, the new panel will be on the top. Whether you split the pane vertically or horizontally, the new panel will always display the beginning of the code for that survey. 

The second way to split the screen is to click on the expand arrow in the middle of the bar at the top of the code panel. This method is only used to split the pane horizontally. Users may also remove the split pane by clicking on the arrow in the middle of the pane divider to collapse the extra panel.

Additionally, the pane divider for the vertical split can be adjusted to the left or right by hovering the mouse cursor over the blue line. Similarly, the pane divider for the horizontal split can be adjusted to the top or bottom. Once the cursor appears, click and hold the blue bar while you drag it to the desired location within the pane.

To move onto the next step of adding content and editing your survey, read Creating and editing survey content with the Edit applet.