selectby tag - 'steps'

The selectby tag with the steps method (alias step or stepwise) defines a multi-step selection process for quota variables, allowing different selection rules at each step.

Example

set list: BRANDS 
1. Coke
2. Dr Pepper
3. Pepsi
4. Sprite
5. Diet Coke
6. Mountain Dew
7. Coke Zero
8. Diet Pepsi
9. Fanta
10. Canada Dry Ginger Ale

7. Which of the following brands have you heard of? 
type: checkbox 
optsfrom: BRANDS

8. Which of the following brands have you ever purchased? 
type: checkbox 
optsfrom: BRANDS {if anyChecked($Q7,[id])}
99. None

9. Which of the following brands have you purchased in the past three months? 
type: checkbox 
optsfrom: BRANDS {if anyChecked($Q8,[id])} 
99. None

10. Which brand is your favorite? 
type: radio 
optsfrom: BRANDS

BRANDS. 2 Brands for deep dive
type: quotas
selectby: steps
optsfrom: BRANDS
maxgroups: 2
steps:
1. Primary brand {if anyChecked($Q10,[id])} {maxgroups: 1} {selectby: condition}
2. Purchased competitor [1,3,5,7,8] {if anyChecked($Q8,[id])} {maxgroups: 1} {selectby: condition}
3. Recent brand {if anyChecked($Q9,[id])} {maxgroups: 2} {selectby: counts}
4. Other brands {if anyChecked($Q7,[id])} {maxgroups: 2} {selectby: counts}

Details

• The variable must use type: quotas.
• The selectby: steps process cannot be combined with other selection methods.
• Each step must have the following decorators: a condition, maxgroups, and selectby.
• If needed, you can filter the option set with inclusion/exclusion and option data syntax.
• Steps are evaluated in the order they are programmed.
• By default, step quotas automatically create a separate variable to store the data at each step. The step variables are located in the Survey fields chapter along with the step quota variable. Apply the steps chapter tag to change the step question's location in the reporting field tree.

Understanding step quota behaviors

There are several step quota behaviors that are helpful to understand.

1. An item selected in an earlier step cannot be chosen in a later step.
2. Step quotas keep a running count of the total selected items. A later step cannot exceed the remaining number needed, regardless of the maxgroups allowance on that step.
3. Each step establishes its own selectby process.
   • A step's selection process can be tiered, such as selectby: counts, weight.
   • A step cannot use selectby: steps, selectby: percentage, or selectby: balance in its own selection process.