How To Import an IBM SPSS Data Collection (Dimensions) script into SurveyToGo

Customer Support Manager

September 18, 2017 13:38

Overview

SurveyToGo allows you to import an IBM SPSS Data Collection (Dimensions) script into SurveyToGo and then run that script on the Android just as a regular SurveyToGo script. You have a choice of whether you wish to import the entire script including the logic or only the meta data. Once an MDD script is imported the project can run on the Android tablet just like any native SurveyToGo project and afterwards the data can be exported to a matching MDD/DDF files to be easily analyzed in IBM SPSS Data Collection. In order to be able to perform this the requirement is to have dimensions version 6 and above installed on the PC/Laptop where SurveyToGo Studio is used.

In order to be able to export to IBM SPSS Data Collection DDF/MDD file format when you have the 64 bit version of Dimensions installed in your PC you need to preform the following steps (once):

1. Locate the execution folder of the Studio:

On Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\local settings\Application Data\Dooblo\SurveyToGo Studio\App\<version number>\Files
On Windows 7 and above: C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Dooblo\SurveyToGo Studio\App\<version number>\Files

2. Run the file: WOWKeyCreator.exe which is in that folder.

The Import Process

To import an MDD script, follow these steps:

Step 1: Run the import wizard

Step 2: Selecting the correct “import type” and additional options for your MDD script

Step 3: Testing the script in the emulator

Step 1: Running the MDD import wizard

To use the “Import wizard” rendering types follow these steps:

Right click the project you wish to import the MDD script into, and select “Import Dimensions file:
Locate the MDD file and click on the “Load button”:
Select which type of importing you wish to perform and which routing to use for the import process – more on the “types of import” later in the guide:
Finally, select any additional language and options:
Now click on the “Import” button to generate the SurveyToGo script from the MDD script:
If any warnings/errors come up during the import, please contact support@dooblo.comand specify the errors you received and include the MDD script in the email
You can now click on Yes to open the survey.

Step 2: Selecting the correct “import type” and additional options for your MDD script

During the import wizard, you can choose the different import type to use. Each has its own benefits and might suite your specific scenario. Below find a detailed explanation of each of the types:

Here is the description of each of the import type:

Import Type	Description	Script code/structure can be modified	When to use?
Full (Metadata & logic)	Both the metadata (questions, texts, languages etc) and the logic of the MDD script are imported. SurveyToGo will run the Dimensions code as-as.	No. Read only. However, you can re-sync the script with an updated MDD with one click in case you have made small modifications in the MDD original script.	When you just need the Dimensions script to run as-is on the Android device and do not wish to re-script the script. Note that while GPS will be captured for the interviews, the other QC features are not available when using this import type.
Metadata Only – Routing based	Only the metadata will be imported, questions will be added to the SurveyToGo script in the order according to the routing context selected. Any question that is in the MDD but does not show up in the routing context selected will be added at the end of the SurveyToGo survey in the “Dummy Questions” chapter. In this import type the script logic will need to be rescripted.	Yes. You can add/delete/modify any question and code as needed.	In cases where the logic of the script is simple and you wish to take advantage of the ability to add SurveyToGo QC capabilities to the script such as Silent recordingor Photo capturing etc.
Metadata Only – Flat	Only the metadata will be imported, questions will be added to the SurveyToGo script one after another regardless of any routing	Yes. You can add/delete/modify any question and code as needed.	In cases where the logic of the script is simple and you wish to take advantage of the ability to add SurveyToGo QC capabilities to the script such as Silent recordingor Photo capturing etc. If you do not want the questions to appear in the order of any of the routing contexts

Please note that when choosing the “Full” import type the SurveyToGo script will become “read only” meaning you won’t be able to make changes to the questions/answers/logic/structure. However you will be able to re-sync the script with an updated MDD if necessary.

Re-Sync Options

If you Full imported the MDD, and have made changes to the MDD you can re-sync the MDD as follows

Navigate to the Dimension Tab and click on Sync Script

In the following screen search and Load the updated MDD and click on 'Import'

Please Note: Once changes are made in the script a new screen will be shown with the list of changes/updates.

Language options

In addition to the import type, you can also specify various other options for the wizard:

Option	Description
Main Language	IBM SPSS Data Collection does not have a concept of a “main language” like SurveyToGo. So it is necessary that you select which of the languages in the MDD will serve as the “Main language” in the SurveyToGo script. The main language will be selected by default when the interview starts.
Secondary Language	Serves as the “Fall back” language in case the main language is missing a text for a specific question/answer. In this case SurveyToGo will show the text from the secondary language

Additional options

In addition to the import type, you can also specify various other options for the wizard:

Option	Description
Load only main language	Instructs the wizard to not add additional languages other than the main language that is selected.
Import Text As HTML	When checked, the questions text is assumed to be HTML and is treated as such. If not checked the text will be imported as-is meaning HTML markup will show.
Ignore Script Comments	Relevant to “meta-data based on routing” import types. Controls if routing items that are marked as comments will still be imported as SurveyToGo expression questions or not.
Enable Auto Advance	Controls if the auto-advance will be turned on for all single choice questions by default
MDD Source File Contains HTML	Treat all text defined for variables as HTML text and properly parse HTML tags (otherwise text will show up as html verbatim)
Strip HTML	Assuming the previous setting is enabled, will convert the HTML to plain text by removing surrounding tags.
Replace Existing Attachments	If re-syncing a survey and the same attachment is defined already, this will ensure that the existing attachment will be updated. Otherwise, the existing attachment is retained.
Force Single Grids	Convert loop variables containing a single numeric\text\single choice\multi choice variables into Multi Topic questions regardless of whether "Expand Grid" is supplied.
Use slim format	For future use, currently does not function. Intended to reduce the size of the resulting survey.
Numeric Loops as Grids	Will import loop variables that are non-categorical as Multi Topic questions
Ignore Script comments	When importing by routing, will ignore and not import routing comments/labels
Limit Properties Import	Allows filtering the properties defined in the metadata instead of importing all of them. You can either white list (then supply a list of properties to allow to pass through, then block from being imported any other properties) or black list (then supply a list of properties that should be filtered out, letting everything else be imported). Do notice that regardless of this setting, all Dooblo properties are imported and handled

Step 3: Testing the script using the emulator (Full import type only)

For MDD scripts that you import with the logic (Full import), you can test the actual way SurveyToGo runs the MDD code using the emulator. To do this:

Click the “Run in emulator” button:
Then, when the emulator comes up, a special window will appear on the right in place of the questions tree. In this window you can follow which line of MDD code SurveyToGo is now executing:
You can also follow the output of the running process and any errors that were encountered in the “Log” window: