Composing Numeric Questions
Top  Previous  Next

Numeric questions let respondents type a numeric answer from -99999999 to 999999999 into an answer field. First we'll describe how to compose Numeric questions, and then we'll provide a simple example for you to try.

When you add a numeric question to your survey, the new question is inserted directly after any highlighted question in the List of Questions on the Write Questionnaire dialog. If no question is highlighted, the new question is inserted at the end of the list.

The Numeric Question dialog is used for formatting numeric questions.


Numeric Question Layout

The numeric question has four main sections:

1. Header 1
2. Header 2
3. Question
4. Footer

The Question text line with its answer field is indented according to the general indent you specify in the Global Settings dialog.

The Numeric Question dialog has five buttons: Rename, Advanced..., Preview, OK and Cancel.

Format controls (Color, Size, Bold, Italic, Underline, and Justification) are available for formatting text.

Advanced...This button accesses advanced settings for this question.  
Numeric Question Settings

From the Settings tab, you can control the range of values that can be entered by specifying a Minimum Value and a Maximum Value (SSI Script may also be used). When you preview the question, the response field lets you type the number of characters used for the Minimum or Maximum Value. The value constraints are not enforced until the survey runs on the server.

There are three check boxes that control the numeric question:

Require Response  

Indicates whether respondents are required to enter a valid response before continuing the survey.  

Allow Decimal Answers  

Controls whether answers with a decimal point are accepted as valid answers. You can specify whether commas or periods are to be used as decimal delimiters under the Global Settings dialog. (Note: the Marginals program within the Admin Module truncates all answers with decimal points, treating them as integers, prior to computing frequencies, min, max, and means.)  

Input Box to Left of Question  
 
Determines whether the text in the Question text area appears at the left or right of the numeric entry box.  
Referencing Numeric Questions in SSI Script

Numeric Questions:

Syntax:
QuestionName

Examples:
Q1
[% Q1 %]

Description:
You refer to numeric questions using the question name. For example, [% Q1 %] returns the numeric response associated with Q1.



Example: Composing a Numeric Question

1. Click Add from the Write Questionnaire dialog.  
 
2. Select the Numeric question type.  
 
3. Type a valid name in the Question Name field, such as AGE, then click OK.  
 
4. Click the Settings tab. Specify a Minimum Value of 18 and a Maximum Value of 99 by clicking and editing those fields.  
 
Click the Question Text tab.  
 
5. Header 1:  
Text:      What is your age?  
Color:      (Default)  
Size:      5  
Justify:      Left (default)  
Bold:      On  
 
(Skip Header 2)  
 
6. Question:  
Text:      Age:  
Color:      (Default)  
Justify:      Left (default)  
Size:      3 (default)  
 
7. Footer:  
Text:      (If you really don't want to tell us your age, just type 99)  
Color:      (Default)  
Size:      3  
Justify:      Left (default)  
 
8. Click Preview:  
 
Tip: Try adding optional HTML instructions in the Footer to bold the "99" and add a horizontal line beneath the question:  
 
Footer Text:   (If you really don't want to tell us your age, just type <B>99</B>)<HR>  
 
Notes: You can bold the "99" by using the toolbar accessible when you click the "pencil" edit icon pencil. Highlight the "99" with the mouse, and then click the bold button (looks like a bold B). You can also add a horizontal line by editing the Footer text (again using the "pencil" edit icon) and clicking the "horizontal rule" button (looks like a dash "—")