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dynamic value

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The dynamicvalue function sets a question's value based on another question or variable found on the same survey page. It can be used for tasks like automatically coding closed-end values or performing respondent-facing calculations.

Details

  • dynamicvalue can be a standalone widget or an inline set of tags within another widget, such as on a question, a row, or a column.
  • The controlling questions or variables, as well as the target question, can be any question type.
  • All question references can be located on the same survey page, different survey pages, or a combination of both.
  • When using dynamicvalue with a checkbox question, note that any existing data will be cleared, and only the specified value will remain.
  • Tables using dynamicfilter accept __RID__ / __CID__ syntax to target a specific row/column or to iterate through all rows/columns.
  • Similarly, tables using dynamicvalue can accept __ALLROWS__ and __ALLCOLS__ syntax to target all table rows or columns.

Tip! If you need to set a simple value to a question or variable when the page loads, try the dvalue tag.

Tags

dynamicvalue can be a standalone widget or an inline tag within a question or variable, with slight variations in supporting tags depending on the method. For example, if dynamicvalue is used as a standalone widget, the condition tag is used on a separate line. However, if dynamicvalue is attached to a question, the dynamiccondition tag is used. Adding "dynamic" to the tag name gives the necessary instructions for the software to apply the condition correctly.

As a widget As a tag Description
condition dynamiccondition An expression (conditional statement); if the expression evaluates to "true," the value is applied to the question or table.
filter dynamicfilter

Only applicable for tables. 

This tag targets specific rows or columns, excluding autoothers, using __ROW__, __COL__, or __ID__ syntax to determine where the dynamicvalue should be applied.
lock dynamiclock This tag prevents the respondent from changing the set values. Both lock and dynamiclock default to 'y'. To allow changes, apply the tag and set to 'n'.
question -- The question ID where the value will be applied.
table -- The table ID where the value will be applied.
value dynamicvalue

The value being set to the question or table widget. The value tag input can be another variable, expression, or string.

When used as an independent widget, dynamicvalue is the widget name, and the value tag is needed to set the value. When used as a tag, only dynamicvalue is required to set the value.

Additional examples

Setting a value from a multiselect question

The value tag can accept arrays when coding (setting a value to) multi-select questions. Reminder, when using dynamicvalue with a checkbox question, note that any existing data will be cleared, and only the specified value will remain.

To apply the condition tag, write the conditional expression without the leading "if." Here, if option 1, 2, or 3 is selected at Q3, then the answer from Q3 plus option 4 will be set to Q4.

Using the 'lock' tag

The lock tag prevents respondents from modifying the target question, which is "locked" by default. In the example below, the target question is the total row, 'Q9RALL'. With lock: n applied, the respondent can alter the total row even after it is calculated.

The above summing row example can be written to dynamically reference all table rows with __ALLROWS__ reference if it is written inline. 

Calculating row and column totals and the 'dynamicfilter' tag

In this first example, __ALLCOLS__ sums across all columns for each row and applies the total sum to the column specified in the dynamicfilter tag. The filter iterates through each column using the __CID__ placeholder until it finds the column that evaluates to 'true', which is column 3. The total sum is then applied to column 3, the 'TOTAL' column.

 

Then, similar to the previous example, here __ALLROWS__ sums across the rows and applies the total sum to the row specified in the dynamicfilter tag. The filter iterates through each row using the __RID__ placeholder until it finds the row that evaluates to 'true', which is row 3. The total sum is then applied to row 3, the 'Total Spend' row across the bottom.

Calculating annual spend based on monthly average

The following example uses dynamicvalue to take the respondent's input on their average spend on various products and then extrapolate their approximate annual spend on these products.

Incorporating the 'toFixed' function

Since dynamicvalue mainly uses JavaScript for its calculation, some undocumented functions may help experienced users. Try using .toFixed() to limit the decimal precision of the resulting value. For example, to limit a respondent's input to two decimal places, use the following .toFixed(2).

Autofilling a single row in sum to 100 table

In the following example, the table includes a row that sums to 100%, with the "In person" row autofilled to help prevent errors—sometimes called a "plug row."

The dynamicfilter targets row 3 ("In person"), and the dynamicvalue calculates its value by subtracting the totals of row 1 and row 2 from 100, ensuring the remaining percentage is allocated to row 3. This row is "locked" and cannot be modified by the respondent.

Additionally, the HTML below the table includes JavaScript that makes the 'SCT' row read-only.

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