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RBBS-PC QUESTIONNAIRE FACILITIES 19-1 19. RBBS-PC QUESTIONNAIRE FACILITIES ------------------------------------ RBBS-PC provides a script-driven questionnaire facility. RBBS-PC will process a questionnaire when a NEW caller logs in, before any caller logs off, or the user can select a questionnaire from a menu. To ask new users questions the file named in CONFIG parameter 84 must exist. To ask questions of users when they say G>oodbye the file named in CONFIG parameter 85 must exist. Questionnaires can also raise or lower the user's security level based on his/her responses. Answers to the questionnaire are appended to a file specified in each questionnaire script. RBBS-PC will only activate the corresponding script files if they exist, otherwise the functions are bypassed. The questionnaire script processor supports: - Branch to labels (forward and back branching) - Display lines - Display line and get response - Response validation (Multiple choice) - Numeric validation - Raising and lowering user security level - Aborting the questionnaire - Chaining to another questionnaire - Invoke a macro from within a questionnaire - "Turbo" key can be turned on from within a questionnaire The first line in every script file must contain the file name where the responses to the script will be appended, and the maximum security level a user can be raised to. The rest of each script file contains script commands. Script commands are 1 character in length and must be in column 1 of each script line. Following is a list and description of valid script commands: : A colon indicates a label command * An asterisk indicates a display data command ? A question mark indicates a display and wait for response command = An equal sign indicates a multiple choice branch command > A greater than symbol indicates a goto command + A plus sign indicates a raise security level command - A minus sign indicates a lower security level command @ An "at" sign means to abort questionnaire and do not write results & An ampersand means to establish a questionnaire chain T The letter "T" turns on the "turbo" key mode M The letter "M" executes a "macro" > Assigns a value to a work variable CONFIG parameter 94 controls the maximum number of work variables that can be handled by questionnaires. RBBS-PC questionnaires even support "graphics" versions of the questionnaires. Graphics versions use the standard convention of ending the filename with "C" for color graphics and "G" for ansi graphics. E.g. HLPRBBSC.DEF and HLPRBBSG.DEF are graphics versions of HLPRBBS.DEF. RBBS-PC 17.3A TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL 19-2 19.1 Branching to Labels ------------------------ : Colon (Label command) This command is used to provide labels that can be branched to from = and > commands. :QUESTION1 Numeric labels are not recommended because they are easy to confuse with work variables. SmartText variables will be interpreted as such, eg. ":-{FN" will substitute the user's first name. 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.-". 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. An example that shows the 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 (i.e. value of work variable 29 is "7"). The second question then stores the answer in the value of work variable 29, displays the name of the work field being changed, and then displays the old value of the work variable. Suppose that the value of work variable 7 is "Yes". Then the series of substitutions RBBS-PC 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 19.2 Display Data Command ------------------------- * Asterisk (Display data command) This command is used to send data to the user. SmartText and Macro commands are interpreted before display (see section 7.8). "*/FL" will not display the "/FL" because it is interpreted as a macro command. 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 capabilities of macros that questionnaires can make use of is the ability to append data to any work file, where work variables RBBS-PC QUESTIONNAIRE FACILITIES 19-3 are merged into a form. This allows the questionnaire data to be saved in virtually any format desired. The other extremely useful macro capability that questionnaires can utilize is the ability to retrieve data from a file into a form, in effect adding a data based file retrieval capability. 19.3 Display Data And Get Response ---------------------------------- ? Question mark (Display data and get response) This command is used to send data to the user and wait for a response. The user will be required to input a response. The ENTER key alone is an invalid response. No other checks are made. ?DO YOU OWN YOUR OWN PC? (Y/N) The prompt command accepts an optional number which is interpreted as the number of the 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. 19.4 Multiple Choice Response ----------------------------- = Equal sign (Response validation - Multiple choice) This command is used in conjunction with the ? command and must immediately follow the ? command for which it applies. This command allows for checking/editing of single character responses to the preceding ? command and allows branch logic to be exercised based on the response given. Multiple = commands must be coded on the same line. The format follows: =AXXXXXXXXX=BYYYYYYYYY= ZZZZZZZZZZ = Indicates that a single character comparison value follows A Is the comparison value X Is the label to branch to if the response is "A" = Indicates that a single character comparison value follows B Is the comparison value Y Is the label to branch to if the response is "B" = Indicates that a single character comparison value follows (SPACE) This is a special comparison value that is always used as the last comparison value and means "INVALID" response given Z Is the label to branch to if an invalid response is given Maximum line length is 255 characters and the last = on the line "MUST" have a comparison value of " " (SPACE). :QUESTION1 ?Do you run a BBS system. (Y/N) =YQUESTION2=NQUESTION2= QUESTION1E :QUESTION1E *Please respond Y or N >QUESTION1 :QUESTION2 RBBS-PC 17.3A TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL 19-4 There is an additional format for the = command, where the comparison value of # (Pound sign) is used. This is used as a numeric check and encompasses 0-9, (), - and space. This format requires two entries. The first is to test for numerics and the second is the invalid response branch label (e.g. "=#QUESTION3= QUESTION2E"). 19.5 Forward And Backward Branching ----------------------------------- > Greater than sign (Forward and backward branching) This command is used to branch to specific labels within the script file. >QUESTION4 19.6 Raise/Lower User's Security Level -------------------------------- + Plus sign (Raise user security level) This command will add the value in columns 2-6 to the default security level given new users or the current security level of old users. +5 - Minus sign (Lower user security level) This command will subtract the value in columns 2-6 to the default security given new users or the current security level of old users. -1 19.7 Abort Questionnaire ------------------------ @ At sign (Abort questionnaire) This command will terminate the questionnaire and NOT write the response to the output file as in the following example. :QUESTION1 ?Have you answered the questionnaire before. (Y/N) =YQUESTION2=NQUESTION3= QUESTION1E :QUESTION1E *Please respond Y or N >QUESTION1 :QUESTION2 @ :QUESTION3 19.8 Chain Questionnaire ------------------------ & Ampersand (Chain questionnaire) This command will establish the next questionnaire in the chain. The file named in columns 2-80 will be used as a continuation to the current questionnaire when the current questionnaire reaches its last line. i.e. &L:\RBBS\QUESCONT.DEF 19.9 Turbo Keys --------------- T Turbo Key RBBS-PC QUESTIONNAIRE FACILITIES 19-5 This is used to turn on Turbo Key for a prompt where a single keystroke is expected. TurboKey causes the next keystroke to be taken as the answer immediately without having to press Enter, if the caller has TurboKey on. 19.10 Macro Execute ------------------- M Macro Execute This command is used to execute a specified macro named after the command, e.g. "M C:\RBBS\FIZ.IMC". Control returns to the questionnaire after a macro is executed. One of the most important capabilities macros add to questionnaires is the ability to append data to any file in any format desired. Hence the data in questionnaires can be saved where ever desired in whatever format desired. If a macro saves the data and you do not want the normal output on completion of the questionnaire, just abort the questionnaire at the end. Macros also have the ability to retrieve data from files and then display on the screen. 19.11 Assign Value ------------------ < Macro Assign This command assigns a value to a work variable. For example, "<2 XT" assigns value "XT" to work variable 2.