When to use a power survey

Surveys will accommodate most of your research needs; however, there may be specific circumstances under which you would use a power survey instead.

You should use a power survey over a survey only if you need:

  • To import a power survey (PXML file)
  • Power survey scripting
Tip: In many cases, the functionality that was achieved through power survey scripting is now possible in modern surveys, either through out-of-the-box features or modern survey scripting.
  • For more information about how modern survey scripting works and what is possible, see Scripting in surveys.
  • Refer to the Modern Survey Script Library for copy/paste code snippets and step-by-step instructions that address popular use cases.

Import a power survey (PXML file)

If your application has more than one Community, you can export a power survey as a PXML file and import the file into another Community. You can also the use the PXML file to create a power survey template. For more information, see Export a power survey and Import a power survey.

Scripting

Power survey scripting lets you use HTML, Javascript, and C# to enhance features in power surveys. In some cases, power survey scripting is essentially "filling in the gap" for missing power survey functionality that surveys already have out-of-the-box. The following table compares the scripts in the library to the features in surveys.

Feature Power survey scripts Surveys
Survey logic You can use a power survey script to create logic based on:
  • The number of selections made in a previous Multi Choice question
  • The number of rows selected in a Grid question
  • The values in two Numeric questions

For more information, see Conditional Sequence Scripts in the Power Survey Script Library.

In surveys, you can create logic based on a member's:
  • Response to a previous question
  • Profile variable
  • Respondent variables

You cannot use a Survey Logic action to compare two answers or the number of selections in a Grid question.

For more information, see Survey logic.

With survey scripting, it's possible to get and set question and answer values.

Date questions Power survey scripts let you:
  • Determine a member's age based on the response to a Date question
  • Add an exclusive checkbox on a page with a Date question
  • Pipe the current date in the question text
  • Hide the day or month in a Date question

For more information, see Date Scripts in the Power Survey Script Library.

In surveys, you can use a Set Value action to determine a member's age based on their year of birth. For more information, see Set Value and Create an age roll-up without using calculated dates.

With survey scripting, it's possible to calculate:
  • Participants' ages based on their Date of Birth responses.
  • Duration values such as how long they spent on a page or a survey.
Masking

By default, power survey masking is limited in functionality and only supports the following question types:

  • Single Choice
  • Multi Choice
  • Single Choice Grid
  • Multi Choice Grid
  • Allocation Grid

For anything more advanced or involving other question types (for example, Rank Order), scripting is required.

For more information, see the Knowledge Base article "Guide to Masking Scripts (Power Surveys)" in the Alida Help Center.

Surveys support masking in the following question types:

  • Single Choice (all display types)
  • Multiple Choice
  • Single Choice Grid
  • Single Choice Grid Cards
  • Single Choice Grid Slider
  • Multiple Choice Grid
  • Rank Order

You can configure masking directly in the user interface; there is no need for scripting.

For more information, see Masking.

Tip: Are you using scripting with power surveys to pipe/hide/mask answer options from one question to another question? You can now do this in surveys with no need for scripting. For more information, see Carry Forward Answers.
Even distribution Requires even distribution scripts from the Scripting Library. Can be achieved with out-of-the-box functionality using random distribution. For more information, see Random distribution.
To view the Power Survey Script Library:

  1. In the upper right corner of the application, click the user account icon and select Help.

  2. Open the Alida Help Center.
  3. Click Getting Started and refer to these articles listed under Knowledge Base: