Survey Manager
- This extension requires registration to download.
* The frontend of the component lists the forms available to the user, allows your site visitors to complete the forms, submit them, view their previous submissions, etc.
* Joomfish v2 compatible!
* Form submissions can be revised until they are finalised by the user. (This can be done automatically too.)
* Form sections/questions can include images and multimedia objects such as MP3 files, Flash files or videos.
* Forms can be split over multiple pages using sections.
* Fields are available to control when forms are displayed. (By both date and time.)
* The backend admin system provides full control over which forms are shown and has facilities for manipulating the submitted data as well as creating and changing the forms as required. Also downloading the submission data as CSV files.
* Supports Data Types:- Boolean, Date, DateTime, Integer, Text, Time, Email, Captcha, Derived, image and file.
* Field Types:- checkbox, radio, select, text, textarea. Compound questions.
* Several useful standard frontend and backend reporting and graphing functions are available.
* Form sections and questions can be easily re-ordered.
* Limited Community Builder (CB) integration. (To determine what forms are shown to what users.)
* Whole forms, form sections and questions can now be copied.
* Conditional questions are now supported.
* Now supports multiple selection list dropdowns.
* Now has automatic survey resume at same point as long as browser hasn't been closed completely.
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Changes since version 1.5.8 Stable Update 11:
1. Corrected the Maximum score and Range of answers calculations on the surveysectionscores and surveyquestionscores reports. Also the No. of questions and average score values on the surveyquestionscores reports.
2. Added pagination to the submissions, questions and answers admin pages to make the them easier to manage.
3. Fixed display of values in function view_surveytype_submissions().
Not to mention the user interface (or rather, the lack of one).
We went with this extension because it was the only one that met the requirements and figured it would be easier than writing our own component. Now, I'm not so sure.
Typical. The only times people do new reviews is to complain..
The extension is easy to tweak, the large file you complain about is heavily commented. (Though you don't say whether you are complaining about the frontend or backend admin file!)
The variables in it all have sensible names.
It is also well structured, indented and has had favourable comments from other people.
You also complain about the user interface, frontend or backend admin one, you don't say. I think you will find it has both!
And you had plenty of chance to check all this out via the demo site.
Sometime I wonder why I bother...
It looks straight forward, but really is not.
Before you can even create your first survey, there are many routines to go thru before having to make one. I like the ability to create the sections of the survey, so this wasn't the problem I ran into with this addon.
My gripes really go to the ease of use factor, and the results and how they are output.
I think that if I use a radio button I shouldn't see output results of 0, 1, 2 etc.. I should see the actual answer of what 0, 1, or 2 are. How do I know what answer the component has assigned to 0 or 1 or 2, there is nothing that shows me this. I tried this every which way, but the end result was that each part of the answer produces a different number even, so the end result is I really don't know what actual answers I am getting from the survey.
Boolean should not be a pull down window for yes/no... It should really be a checkbox or radio display and I should have a choice, not a required select option.
Radio & checkboxes should not be an integer, if you want to produce a result with an answer such as what you'd get with a text box.
Results layout looks sloppy when viewed after filling out survey.
Email should produce answers instead of 0, 1, 2 type results
I should have more control over text options.. I didn't like for instance seeing (Available to 'Guest' user types only.) I would prefer they just didn't see that, and it should be an option for me to turn off.
If I add an s to the end of my survey title, 2 s's appear at the end of the title.. in other words John's Surveys becomes John's Surveyss (on menu page) only.
When html source code is used in title descriptions, the email produces those as if the email is sent in text only format. I'd prefer html email for instance so I don't see source code.
The manual is good and really takes the time to run you thru how to get started, but it needs to cover more about field options and there limits. The fact that your limited to integrer with radio and checkbox fields is not cool and I never found that to be mentioned in the pdf file.
As well, the checkbox needs to have ability to show more than 1 checkbox. When I tried this option, I was only given 1 checkbox for the 4 options in the field. It's as if the checkbox is meant only for a terms of use or acceptance question, and I wasn't thrilled with that either.
Ability to sort questions in question view would be nice as well, since the sample component offers many samples, I'd love for my new questions to automatically appear at the top so I don't have to scroll to bottom of page to edit them.
This survey addon is good if all your looking for is answers to text questions, it produces results just fine. It installs with no errors in a fully loaded joomla (many extensions in other words) and I had no problems with it other than the ones mentioned above.
This addon has huge potential, I hope to see it come out better in future upgrades.
Thanks for the feedback. A number of your concerns have been addressed in the latest version. (1.5.5.) The actual answers to multi-choice questions are now displayed instead of the option no. This was an oversight, due to being busy developing other features.
Your boolean opinion is your personal opinion. You could always use a radio button field for yes/no, true/false, etc.
Radio & checkboxes are not integer! Only the data type used to represent the select answer. You are NOT limited to integer with radio and checkbox fields, that is a fundamental misunderstanding, you can put whatever you want in the options field!
The two s's point is addressed by changing a single entry in the language file!
You can't use multiple options with a checkbox, they only have a single value! On or off, 0 r 1, true or false. Whatever you want to call them.
Your point about expanding the manual to explain the issues you have raised is a good, however, and something we will address asap.
Not so good points:
1) Data is not saved when guests are submitting the survey. But this would be usefull for anonymous surveys in an intranet for example
2) No manuals, documentation, tutorials or FAQs
3) No support forum
I think it's a very good start, but it needs some improvements :-)
Hi there. Thanx for the generally favourable review. Replies to your criticisms:-
1. If you create a registered user called 'guest' then the form answers will be saved. (As on the demo survey form page on our web site.)
2. Anyone who BUYS the 1.5.0 Stable release will get documentation and tutorials. As far as FAQs go, We haven't received any questions yet!
3. Anyone who BUYS the 1.5.0 Stable release will get a support forum!
It has taken me many days of development to get to this stage and I have a mortgage and other bills to pay. Please help me help you by purchasing the full release version:-)
Melissa.
If you're looking for a bug free solution, choose this!