theThought's thoughts

Kevin A Gray - Creative Strategy Guy

OpenXML / PASW Data Collection - Project 1

My presentation at SPSS Directions in Las Vegas (9th – 13th Nov) will require me to provide several working examples of OpenXML / PASW Data Collection integration.  I am currently looking for three different examples with increasing levels of complexity.  Two will probably be around the survey metadata document and Word while the third will be around a reporting script that is exporting to PowerPoint.

So in order to not overwhelm the project and suffer from the inevitable procrastination I have decided to start with a topic that is often requested by clients.

Is it possible to create a printable copy of the responses to a survey so that it can be sent either to the respondent or a stake-holder?

Scenario:
A Rail company wishes to provide an online complaints form that allows travellers to submit details of complaints regarding late trains or poor service while on trains.  The information would then be escalated to the relevant account manager with the complainant receiving a copy of the details of the complaint for their own records.

The Survey:
This will consist of two pages of questions.  The first will obtain general details of the complainant while the second will obtain details of the complaint.  Once both pages have been captured the complainant will be asked to confirm submission and then will be e-Mailed a PDF copy of the complaint.  Their e-Mail address is a mandatory field in the first page.

The Steps:
The following steps will be required to complete the project:

·         Construct Survey Metadata

·         Construct Survey Routing to ask questions

·         Watch Microsoft Videos on Custom Parts

·         Build Routing to construct an XML document of the responses provided

·         Construct a Word document defining the layout of the complaint record form

·         Pass the XML across to the document as a Custom Part

·         Insert Placeholders into the document to ensure the information appears in the right locations in the document

·         Create a dll that receives the XML from PASW Data Collection, inserts it into the custom part within the document template, generates a PDF from the resulting document and sends it to the complainant

These steps have been defined before I have had chance to watch the videos on the implementation of custom parts.  I am documenting my intentions at this point so that I can show what has to change once I better understand the way custom parts work.

Filed under  //   Custom Part   Metadata   OpenXML   OpenXML SDK 2.0   PASW DATA Collection   Routing   SPSS   SPSS Directions  

Counting Down to Directions in Las Vegas

November 8th through 13th 2009 I will be presenting at SPSS Directions in Las Vegas

As ever I like to challenge myself at these events, show something new, try something different.  This year will be no exception.  My tasks for the week will include:

Presentation on how to use PASW Data Collection without buying a Server (Surveys without Servers).

Presentation on OpenXML, specifically the new OpenXML SDK v2 and how this will fit with PASW Data Collection

Workshop on Using Flash with PASW Data Collection

Workshop on how to use the new Tabulation features of 5.6 to make Data Management quicker and simpler

As part of this process I am learning OpenXML.  Although I am very familiar with XML this is my first venture into this Office based use of the technology.

I hope that my presentation on this subject will show how OpenXML can greatly improve the interactions between PASW Data Collection and Office delivering more flexibility and better performance.

So over the next few weeks (about five) I will be posting regularly to this site explaining the steps I am taking to learn openXML and providing comments and thoughts on the success I am having and the opportunities it presents.

Feel free to add comments and hopefully I will see you at Directions where you can tell me exactly how well I have done.

Filed under  //   Dimensions   Flash   Las Vegas   OpenXML   PASW DATA Collection   SPSS   SPSS Directions   theThought