Form export data

[nic...@opfistula.org]

Hi, We have an app which is being used in the field at the moment. We need to add another question. However, when we did originally, we moved some of the original questions into a repeat group. When we used the 'form export data' the originaly questions were no longer there - so the previously entered data wasnt downloaded. We could get to the data but clicking on 'Show deleted properties' and then selecting the relevant fields. But we didnt 'delete' these fields - but we moved them into a group which I guess had the same impact as deleting them? We have now reverted to the previous form of the app and are thinking more carefully about how to add these questions without making the previous questions 'deleted fields' . 

Does anyone know if we just add questions and dont create groups will this leave the rest of the questions unaffected and we can still download all the data in the 'form export data' ?

thanks Nicola 

[Kaley Lambden]

Hi Nicola, 

The reason your previous data appeared as 'deleted' is because when you move questions into a repeat group (or any other type of group) it does change the Question ID by adding a prefix- for example the question ID my_question would become group_name/my_question if it was moved into the new group group_name. 

When you change a question ID, CommCare will treat the two question IDs as two separate questions; that is, CommCare will not treat this as an update, rather, it will treat it as though the my_question question was deleted and the group_name/my_question question was added. The consequence is that when you download the data you will have two columns: my_question, which will have values for all old form submissions, and group_name/my_question, which will have values for all new form submissions. In the export configuration, the old question ID, my_question will appear as a 'Deleted Question'.

You can learn more about how making changes to a deployed application can affect your data and application here. 

However, if you have reverted your application to the previous version, and you add new questions without moving any other questions into groups the rest of your questions will not be affected. 

Hope this helps!

Cheers, 

Kaley

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Kaley B. Lambden

Senior Field Manager | Dimagi, Inc. 

Skype: kaley.lambden