Graphics Management

SSI Web assumes a server installation that contains a separate graphics directory. We use the function [%GraphicsPath( )%] to specify the path to that graphics directory. When the survey is run on a server, the text "[%GraphicsPath( )%]" is replaced by the paths specified under Survey Settings | Server Settings. There are two paths related to graphics:

If the graphic is located on the login page, then the function [%GraphicsPath( )%] is replaced with the text supplied in the Relative Path From login.html to Graphics field.

If the graphic is located anywhere other than the login page, then the function [%GraphicsPath( )%] is replaced with the text supplied in the Relative Path From CGI Scripts to Graphics field.

If you use the [%GraphicsPath( )%] function, Local Test Server always looks to the graphics subdirectory off of your study directory regardless of what you have specified under Survey Settings | Server Settings. But, when running on the server, SSI Web uses the paths to graphics specified under Compose | Survey Settings | Server Settings.

One benefit to using the [%GraphicsPath( )%] function is that if you need to change the path definitions for graphics, you only need to change them in one place (under Compose | Survey Settings | Server Settings).

If you want to, you can choose not to use the system variable when defining the paths to graphics. You can provide an <img> tag with a relative or absolute path of your choice (where the path is the path from the Perl scripts to the directory containing the graphic, or the login.html file to the graphic). However, customizing the paths will most likely mean that the graphics will not be able to be found when testing with Preview or the Local Server.