If I am inviting users to take a survey, is it possible for me to prepopulate the survey with data I already have. For example, it I have the invities address and email. Can I populate the survey for them, so they can just correct what is wrong?

Thanks,

Hi, yes that should be possible, have a look at "Enable Token-based answers persistence?" at:
http://docs.limes.../tiki-index.ph...reating+a+New+Survey

Even better: Take a look at this workaround: "Prefilling survey answers using the survey URL"

Matador is right, prefilling surveys is done with the "Enable Token-based answers persistence?".
==> So it is possible with Closed acces surveys (using invitations) which are not using anonymous answers.

The process is the following:

1- Prepare
* Design your survey structure
* Activate your survey
* Switch to close access mode
* prepare your tokens (tokens info, invitation codes), but don't send the invitations
* Test the survey by filling in some answers in order to have in an export file the 'format/look' of the expected pre-filled answers file you want to import
* Export the result by using the VV-Export feature
* Export your tokens
* De-activate your survey

2- Fill-in the prepared answers
* Edit the exported 'VV-Export' file and fill it with the wanted answers: don't forget to give the token code that corresponds to the participant identity in the corresponding answers line
* Activate your survey ans switch to losed access mode
* Import your previously exported tokens
* Go to the Browse Result tool and import your edited answers with the VV-Import facility and Check the 'Import as not finalized answers?' option

You can then send the invitations

Please test this and report back if it works ok for you. I'll the update the online documentation for this.

Thibault

This is great solution/explanation!

phirocck, can you please test and report back?!

I asked the question to see if I should start with LimeSurvey. Now that I see it can solve the problem, I will have to install it and get it going.

I see. Take your time and when you have set this up tell us about your experience.

I was not able to get the VV-Import to work, kept on getting an error:

Import Failed on Record 8 because [ERROR: syntax error at or near "`" at character 32]

Character 32 right in the middle of one of the timestamps.

I was able to insert the data directly into the survey table. Then I was able to load a previously saved survey.

To make this work the way I want, I am going to have to populate the lime_saved_control table and mock up a form that imitates the "Load Previouly Saved Survey" page. That is the page I want responders to land on initially.

Peter

Looks like I have this working,
Maybe not the easiest way.

a) populate the survey table with DB inserts
b) populate the token table with DB inserts
c) populate the saved survey table with DB inserts

I copied the Restore saved survey form where you enter your savename and savepass. But if this is the first screen you see( aka no session variable), when you fill out the form you get a "Survey Completed" page. I believe this is bacause it checks query_list vs the page you are on before it does the restore.

To get around that, I captured a dummy session. And copy it on my landing page. I noticed the restore logic deletes much of the session data and recreates the survey details.

The natural flow was to
a) Log into the survey with your token.
b) Hit retrieve saved survey
c) Get the saved survey user/pass page.
I wanted to skip this and go straight to (c). Once I got past the difficulty of not having steps (a/b) to setup the session, it works well.

Note, I set savepass equal to token so I only have to ask for one.

phirock,
I just flew over your setting. If you think there is a bug/inconsistency at "query_list" check pleaseopen a ticket at the bugtracker and add your survey. You can mark your ticket "private" so that only the developers will be able to take a look at it.

Afterwards please post the link to the bugtracker so we can follow the progress.

If you think there is some information missing in the manual please add this. Our manual is a wiki, everyone can edit it.

Thanks a lot for your feedback. This will be very useful for other user.