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MachForm Community Forums » MachForm 3
How to save incomplete survey data?
Started 12 years ago by accudata | 11 posts |
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I was under the impression that Machform would save incomplete surveys. Such as, we have a survey that has 2 sections, section 1 being the actual survey and section 2 asking for personal information. When I do section 1 and get to section 2 and leave the survey, it doesn't save the survey data. This doesn't make sense, because every survey software is supposed to work in this manner. I'm really not sure why this isn't working for me.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Machform is not specifically survey software as such - it is a form builder, you can build any type of form with it including surveys. The feature you want is available in Ver 3.x but you need at least 2 pages in your form for this feature to work.
Go Form Properties under the section called Processing Options choose the one that says Allow Clients to Save and Resume Later.
The above will put a check box option at the foot of the form. If your user clicks it, it will show a field for their email.
When they click "Save Form and Resume Later" it will send them a temporary URL so they can re-open the form later.
Posted 12 years ago # -
What I'm looking for is not available in version 3 as you stated.
The survey should save incomplete data. The option of coming back and finishing the survey we already have. I see within the database that is saves partial form data but I'm just wondering why there isn't the option of displaying partial form data for survey's within the backend of Machform.
Also, previous buttons do not work on 2nd pages when you have required fields on the 2nd page. Doesn't make much sense to make a user fill out required fields to go back and make edits to a prior form page. Logically that shouldn't be the way it's setup. Being a caveman user, I should be able to edit any form fields on previous pages without touching the fields on appended pages. Being a user, if I see required info needs to be inputted before changing previous data, I will just abandon the form altogether, in result you lose leads and survey data.
Posted 12 years ago # -
yuniar
The user need to click the save button indeed. MachForm won't automatically save the form when the user simply leave the form
MachForm Founder
Posted 12 years ago # -
then what is the partial data saved in the MYSQL database for? How long until that data is purged as well? I'm thinking of modifying the application in order to show partial form data where a user doesn't finish the survey, logically this is key when doing survey's.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I'm also interested in this auto-save as well accudata. Did you manage to get it working?
I am hoping to capture client's emails within the first page, and then when they advance and decide not to purchase, I can follow-up with a personal coupon. It should dramatically increase my leads and conversion.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Saved but uncompleted form entries appear in the SQL table but don't appear in the view on the manage_entries.php page. Would it be easy to amend the query so the incomplete saved user entries display as well? Could the entries then also be edited by an authorised user just as a completed form can be?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I found I just needed to change "'status'=1" to "'status' IN (1,2)" in manage_entries.php and in all instances in entry_functions.php for the manage_entries screen to display unfinished as well as finished forms and that seems to allow them to be edited as well. Don't know yet if that breaks anything else but so far seems ok.
I wonder if there is a system/programming reason that incomplete surveys were excluded from the normal view of entries in the first place - or was it simply thought that the data collector wouldn't be interested in seeing incomplete (but saved) form entries?
Posted 11 years ago # -
I think that that is a good request as well. I'd like to at least somehow see the entries in the "Limbo" table.
Posted 11 years ago # -
yuniar
timcov -- there is no technical reason, we just don't want to display both completed and incomplete entries within the same page. There should be some other page which specifically display any incomplete entries. We have this on our todo list.
MachForm Founder
Posted 11 years ago # -
If you want to view incomplete entries in the MachForm panel, you can change the status in the SQL database from 2 to 1 for that entry. Unfortunately, and most likely a deal-breaker, once you do this the client cannot modify previously entered data once returning to the form. The client does have access again to complete the form and finally submit it (but cannot change previously entered data).
I understand that in the next major MachForm revision a fix to this issue will be available and both partial and complete data will be viewable. I hope this happens sooner rather than later.
Posted 10 years ago #
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