numberformat

Respondents are accustomed to seeing number grouping separators (commas in US English) when entering numbers greater than 1,000 in numeric text fields. Thus, it follows that survey designers sometimes request that separators are displayed in numeric questions where expected values could exceed three digits. To accommodate this need, Survey Programmers (SPs) can include the number format and number locale tags.

The numberformat tag allows SPs to create a type: text (or number or integer) field in which numbers will automatically be displayed with grouping separators (e.g., commas in English) and can also allow or force a specified number of decimal places. Number formatting adds separators for visual clarity, and updates formatting as the respondent types out their response. The system-generated separators are not stored when the field is submitted so that the data saved is purely numeric. However, for easy of reference later in the survey interview, the formatted string value of a number format variable can be referenced with "_text" appended, like closed-ended variables. Open-end questions store a numeric value and a formatted string as originally entered by the responded (e.g., Arabic numerals or a numberformat string), and they offer the SP access to both values.

• The numeric value is accessible via the standard '$Q1' reference format, e.g., 1234.56
• The formatted value is accessible via '$Q1_text', similar to closed-end questions' text values, e.g., '12.345,67€'

If the survey is being used for respondents from a country other than the United States, UK, or Australia, the number locale tag can be applied with number format to specify which country and locale-specific grouping separators, decimal signs, and currency symbols will be applied.

Syntax

The following code block demonstrates the ways in which we can apply the number format and number locale tags. In r8.0+, the numberformat tag can be used with the question types text, number, and integer.

# Example patterns that are supported: 
number format: 0
number format: 0,0
number format: 0,000
number format: 0,0[.]00
number format: 0,0.00
number format: 0.00
number format: 0[.]0

# Adding separators - decimals not permitted
1. Question requiring numerical input.
type: text
datatype: number 
numberformat: 0,0
# can also use 'datatype: whole' to force integer responses

# Adding separators - decimals permitted
2. Question requiring numerical input.
type: text
datatype: number
number format: 0,0.00
# the number of zeros after the decimal will dictate the place value this will round to

# Switching the number format rules to another country's formatting style
3. Yep, it's another numerical input question
type: text
datatype: number
numberformat: 0,0.00
numberlocale: fr # i.e., country code
# See "Number Locale" example for more information

# Adding currency symbol(s) and optional decimals
4. How much was spent?
type: number
number format: 0,0[.]00 {currency: y}
number locale: fr # i.e., country code
# brackets before decimal zeros indicates optionality [.]00 

Tags

The following tags are commonly used with numberformat .

Decorators

The following decorators can be used along with numberformat. When including multiple decorators, each should be in their own set of curly braces – e.g., numberformat: 0,0 {delay: 250} {currency: y} .

Accepted locales

The number locale tag can be used with number format. It accepts the following CLDR standardized locale codes. SPs should note that locales with a short code alternate can use the shorter code.

Examples

Adding separators

To specify that separators should appear, use a '0,0' or '#,#' input. Note that attempting to add a decimal will be ignored by the system (e.g., entering "2.65" will appear as "265" in the text field).

See demo See code Restart demo

The size tag can always be applied to control the width of the text field, especially in the case of questions that allow for decimal responses where default text field sizing specified via the range or maxlen tags will be ignored.

Adding decimals

If the type: text field allows decimals (i.e. datatype is not restricted to 'whole') and number format is used, it must be instructed to accommodate them by including a decimal and the number of decimal places to accept after it.

See demo See code Restart demo

The above example automatically enters a decimal for the respondent. Respondents can theoretically enter as many digits as they want to the left of the decimal. Two digits will remain static to the right of the decimal without the need to round to the nearest hundredth (.01). The comma separator appears in real-time as the field is being used.

To enter a decimal value, click to the right of the decimal place, and the tenths (0.1) and hundredths (.01) place values may be edited.

In r8.0+, the question types 'integer' and 'number' can be used instead of using type: text with the datatype tag. Q1B can instead be coded as follows. SPs should note that both type: number and type: integer do allow for negative values, so specifying minimums or ranges may be necessary; both question types can be overridden with the datatype tag as well.

See demo See code Restart demo

Optional decimals and decimal units

To allow respondents to enter decimals, but not automatically add the digits and decimal point (if respondents do not add the decimals themselves), use square brackets around the decimal point.

See demo See code Restart demo

In the above example, a respondent input of "401.10" will be preserved, and a response of of "401.1" will be formatted as "401.10". On the other hand, a respondent input of "102" will not be formatted as "102.00" as the decimal places are optional.

Currency prefixes

It is possible to use number format to prefix a currency character to the text entered in the field. To do so, include the currency: y decorator or use the prefix tag. When entering a value, the dollar sign will automatically appear in the text field. The size tag has been applied here to specify a more reasonable size to the text field.

See demo See code Restart demo

Specifying a min/max value

SPs may specify minimum and maximum values via either the min and max tags, or via the range tag. The following table uses the range and sct (showcolumntotal) tags to specify that the respondent inputs only values between $0 and $60. No restriction on the total is required as the range specifications dictate each row's input be at most 60.

See demo See code Restart demo

In r8.0+, the above SCT example can instead be coded using type: number table or type: integer table instead of having to use a text table with the datatype tag.

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Piping responses with the cell tag

In the following example, responses from T29 are piped into T30 to compare their previous quarter's sales (T29) to their sales results for this quarter, and what they anticipate for the next/upcoming quarter. Whether the '$' is specified with the prefix tag or via the currency decorator does not matter, but note that the prefix will not be applied to the piped in responses in T30 and must be specified instead in the {text: } decorator.

See demo See code Restart demo

Responses that are piped into a follow up table using the cell tag do not appear in reports for the follow up table. If using the cell tag in a situation like the previous example, be sure to let clients know that this will be the case.

number_locale

Different languages and regions use different standards for numeric separators and decimal points. To use non-US standards, include the number locale tag. The currency decorator has been included to make sure the proper currency formatting for Germany and Bulgaria is applied to the respondent's input.

In r8.0+, using $QX_text can be used to display the formatted numerical input (e.g., what was displayed after the currency based on number locale was applied) and $QX can be used to display the actual inputted response.

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