Case Selection For Synching

[EddieMu]

We want to be able to sync only selected cases within a survey. Specifically, if I have several cases in a survey, I would like to be able to select a few cases and sync them, instead of syncing the whole file.

Is this currently possible? If not, can this be built into CSEntry?

[josh]

This is not currently possible. The usual workaround is to put each case into its own data file and then selectively sync the data files. However this is rather tricky to do since there is currently no way to control the name of the data file from within a CSEntry application. It requires that you write a separate CSEntry application that writes out a .pff file that containing the desired data file name and uses this .pff file to launch your regular application. A number of users are doing this but it requires a bit of expertise in writing CSPro logic. We can provide an example if you are interested.

[zkwena]

Going forward it would be necessary to work on a way that it is possible to select and sync only specific cases. I would be interested in you sharing what people have used successful. For data that keeps building everyday by addition of cases -- it would be unnecessary to keep syncing cases that would already have been synced.

[josh]

While it may seem wasteful to sync the whole file, the size of the data file on the device, even for a very busy interviewer, is rarely ever going to be big enough that syncing the whole file will take noticeably more time than syncing a few cases. Most of the time syncing is spent connecting and authenticating.

Other users have created launcher applications that take some data (usually the case ids) and then generate a .pff file where the data file name is based on the data entered in the launcher. This way each case is saved in a unique file and you can then selectively sync the ones you want. We have done this as well in surveys we have assisted with although we were not worried about syncing only certain cases, we did it to have additional control over which households were assigned to which interviewers.

A very simple example of a launcher application can be found here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h3tmfzymn1agi ... r.zip?dl=0

[zkwena]

As part of our field data collect, we are collecting GPS coordinates (amidst other data variables). Some times our tablets take long to get GPS is coordinates which make us quite uneasy when a participant is waiting for the interview to proceed. Is there away to set the GPS coordinates to be collected in the background as we continue with the rest of the interview? I have tried setting the attribute to protect (set attributes(latitude) protect;) but a pop-up still comes asking as to waiting while the device reads the coordinates. Looking forward to your response. Zachary

[josh]

zkwena, next time please post to a new topic. Your question has nothing to do with sync. There is no way to collect GPS in the background in CSPro.

[Guest]

Hi Josh,

We are making separate data file for each case. Can it be possible to sync only the selected files as is we sync the whole files then it also sync the partial save cases. It would be great if some one help me out on that.

Thanks in advance!

[josh]

Eddie - syncing only certain files is possible but it requires some complex logic. You would need to write out the sync file (the .pnc) from your menu program using filewrite statements and then call the sync() function to launch the .pnc file that you wrote. This way when you write the .pnc file you include the names of the files that you want to sync.