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1989-05-23
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Documentation for Questionnaires
RBBS 17.2A Version
by Ken Goosens May 24, 1989
Warning: config has a new option - the maximum number of work
variables available. This uses a previously unused parameter
and therefore has a value of 0. RBBS will increase this to 13.
To reference more than 13 variables, you must set this parameter
higher.
Questionnaires have been enhanced significantly in RBBS 17.2A. Virtually
all existing questionnaires will work the same with no modification.
However, differences in operations are possible, including:
(1) "[n]" in a label will be interpreted differently, where n is
an integer between 1 and 30. Also, SmartText variables will
be interpreted as such, eg. ":-{FN" will substitute the
first name.
(2) "*/FL" will no longer display the "/FL" because it is interpreted
as a command.
The major changes to questionnaires are:
o there is an optional minimum security to run questionnaire.
Simply put the minimum security after the max security a questionnaire
can raise security to, separating the two numbers by a space. If
there is no second number, anyone can use the questionnaire. E.g.
the first line
"C:XXX.DAT",7 10
requires security 10 or more to run the questionnaire (and can raise
security up to 7 and writes answers to file C:XXX.DAT).
o graphics versions now supported.
Graphics versions use the standard convention of ending file prefix
with "C" for color graphics and "G" for ansi graphics. E.g.
HLPRBBSC.DEF and HLPRBBSG.DEF are graphics versions of HLPRBBS.DEF.
o SmartText and Work Variables are dynamically substituted into all
questionnaire lines.
For example, ">-.[8].-" will substitute the value of work variable 8
for "[8]", so that if 8 has "edit" as its value, it will go to the
label "-.edit.-".
o The prompt command accepts an option # to tell it what Work Variable
to store the answer in.
For example, "?8Enter Dept" will store the answer not only in the
regular way for a questionnaire but also in work variable 8.
o New commands to turn on turbo key (if user has it on), to assign
a value to a work variable, and to execute a macro.
"T" is the turbo command, "<2 RBBS" will assign "RBBS" as value to
work varible 2, and "M VURBBS.MCR" will execute the macro called
"VURBBS.MCR".
o If you want to work variables to overlay a display template,
keeping it's length (e.g. for columnar display), put "/FL" after
the "*". E.g. if variable 1 has value "12345" and 2 has "abcdef",
then
*/FL.[1]....[2]......
will display ".12345..abcdef...", whereas
*.[1]....[2]......
will display ".12345....abcdef......".
One of the more useful macros is the ability to append data to any
work file, where work variables are merged into a form. This allows
the questionnaire data to be saved in virtually any format desired.
Another extremely useful macro is the ability to retrieve data from
a file into a form, in effect adding a data based file retieval
capability.
The ability to get and substitute values, and to have graphics versions,
means that questionnaires can support many of the features of full screen
editing, including transmitting a template, then overlaying values into
the template.
A good example of the new power of questionnaires is
?29Change what field (1,2,...20)
?[29]Change field [29]. from [[29]] to
This asks which field to change and stores answer in work variable 29.
E.g. value of work variable 29 is "7". Second question then stores
the answer in the value of work variable 29, displays the name of the
work field being changed, then the old value of the work variable.
Suppose that the value of work variable 7 is "Yes". Then
the series of substitutions RBBS makes into the second line before
executing it are:
?7Change field [29]. from [[29]] to
?7Change field 7. from [[29]] to
?7Change field 7. from [7] to
?7Change field 7. from Yes to