import data

Use the import data widget to name a variable, and then assign a value to it. It's used for defining and populating variables used only for survey logic and is not stored in the survey data set.

import data is useful when survey logic relies on external data, like spreadsheets, without embedding that data in the survey code.

Example

Suppose you need to display a list of price ranges based on previous responses. The price ranges are stored in an external sheet (priceranges.xlsx).

Follow these steps to use import data in this scenario.

1. Ask a respondent about their spending.

   1. Please select the smallest amount you've spent on this product:
   type: radio
   0. $0
   1. $1
   2. $2
   3. $3
   4. $4
   5. $5
   6. $6
   7. $7
   8. $8
   9. $9
   
   1A. Please select the largest amount you've spent on this product:
   type: radio
   1. $1
   2. $2
   3. $3
   4. $4
   5. $5
   6. $6
   7. $7
   8. $8
   9. $9

2. Define a variable to store the combined response. For example, if the respondent answered $0 for Q1 and $4 for Q1A, the value stored at QRESP would be '104'. 

   RESP. Respondent Type
   type: text
   invisible: y
   cvalue: {"1" . $Q1 . $Q1A}
   

3. Use import data to name the variable 'rangetext' and fetch the relevant price ranges in the 'priceranges' sheet. Continuing with the example above, the row value would be the same as QRESP, which is '104'.

   Note, if there is already a page break between step 2 and step 3 in your survey code, the new page tag can be removed.

   new page
   
   import data: (rangetext => fetch_row(name => 'priceranges', row => $QRESP)) 

4. Display the fetched ranges in an HTML list. For example, in row 104, the values that would be pulled in would be, '022-031', '032-041', 042-0551', and so on.

   <ul>
     <li>$[* $rangetext->{range1} *]</li>
     <li>$[* $rangetext->{range2} *]</li>
     <li>$[* $rangetext->{range3} *]</li>
     ...etc.
   </ul>
   

Details

• The value assigned may be a hash or a hashref, and as such accepts fetch_cell and fetch_row.
•  A basic syntax example to follow with fetch_row is: import data: ( variablename => fetch_row( name => 'sheetname', row => row id ) )
• A basic syntax example to follow with fetch_cell, is: import data: ( variablename => fetch_cell( name => 'sheetname', row => row id, column => col id ) )
• Multiple variables may be defined.
• Use the prefix tag to add a prefix to all variable names with a given string.