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Default survey settings (set defaults)

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The set defaults widget can be used to control survey settings within a specific scope and for the whole survey. To define your survey's default settings, attach any applicable tags to the set defaults widget. 

set defaults 
page title: Survey
autoother placeholder: Specify
autoother size: 8
autoother desc: Other
create timers: y

Typically, set defaults is placed at the beginning of the survey source to establish basic rules for the entire survey. 

Tip! Think of set defaults as the tool for defining tags or turning components on and off within the survey. It impacts both the survey's survey programming language (SPL) and rendered content. In contrast, think about app config as the high level survey configuration and metadata.

Details

  • Scope: The set defaults settings apply to all SPL and survey content that follow, unless another set defaults is used, or until an end defaults tag is met. This is called "scope."
  • Inheritance: If you apply set defaults to a group of questions, those settings are inherited by all questions within that group, unless they are specifically overridden. This is called "inheritance."
    • Similarly, if you have nested groups or nested set defaults, the settings from the outer group or set defaults are inherited by the inner ones, unless they are specifically overridden.

Commonly used tags

Although many tags can be applied to set defaults, the following tags are most frequently used.

Tag Description
anchor autoother

Specifies that autoother options in questions with either randomize: y or the order tag will be anchored in their list positions.

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs and defaults to 'y' in r9.0+.
anchor exclusive

Specifies that options identified as "exclusive" via the exclusive tag or decorator in questions with either randomize: y or the order tag will be anchored in their list positions.

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs and defaults to 'y' in r9.0+.

autopage

(alias ap)

Specifies whether to automatically insert a page break before every question, eliminating the need for manual page breaks. 

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs and defaults to 'y'.
autosubmit

Controls page auto-submission for single select (radio) questions in Device Diverse, Modern and Flex themes.

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs and defaults to 'y'.

back button image

(alias back btn img)

Specifies an image to use in place of the default back button image.

Accepts a URL path for the custom image or a Perl expression to evaluate.

back button

(alias backbtn)

Controls whether or not to display the back button on survey pages.

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs and defaults to 'y'.

continue button image

(alias continue btn img)

Specifies an image to use in place of the default continue button image.

Accepts a URL path for the custom image or a Perl expression to evaluate.

continue button

(alias contbtn)

Controls whether or not to display the continue button on survey pages.

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs and defaults to 'y'.

create timers

(alias timers)

If applied to set defaults, creates a variable that tracks the amount of time elapsed within all groups and nested groups.

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs.
page title

Displays a custom text in the survey taker's browser tab.

Accepts text input.
preservecase

Specifies that the question ID remains in the exact format as it is written in the source code.

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs and defaults to 'n'.
required

Specifies whether questions must be answered before the page can be successfully submitted.

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs and defaults to 'y'.
showtag

Specifies whether to show question tags (IDs) alongside the question text.

Supports 'y'/'n' inputs and defaults to 'n'.
Mode tags Description
question mode Specifies a global display setting for all questions in a survey unless a widget contains a mode tag locally to override the question mode setting. 
table mode Specifies a global display setting for all tables in a survey unless a widget contains a mode tag locally to override the table mode setting. 
maxdiff mode Specifies a global display setting for all MaxDiff exercises in a survey unless a widget contains a mode tag locally to override the maxdiff mode setting.

Examples

'set defaults' within a 'start group'

When a respondent advances through a survey, the back button displays automatically and then fades away. To turn the back button off completely for specific questions, place the questions and the set defaults widget with back button: n within a group. In the example below, Q1 will never display a back button, meanwhile Q2 will display a back button for a few seconds.

start group: A_GROUP

set defaults
back button: n

1. Questions in this group inherit the set defaults values and do not have a back button.
type: text

end group: A_GROUP

2. Does NOT inherit settings from A_group.
type: text

global mode settings

If you want all the questions, tables, or MaxDiffs in your survey to use a different display mode, you can specify the mode in the set defaults widget to apply the changes globally. 

set defaults
table mode: textabove, buttons
question mode: classic
maxdiff mode: mobile

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