Delimited Text File

Note: Some of the options are only available when the project includes loops.

Figure 1 - The Target tab when Delimited Text File is selected

When Target Type is set to Delimited Text File or Delimited Text File (Answer Codes as Labels), the properties and options available on the tab - - are as follows:

• Loop Handling - this option is only available if the project included loops. Here you specify how loops are to be handled for the export. The options are:
• Separate files - the default export format for loops creates one export file for each loop, and one export file for the top level. In the files containing the loop data there will be one row per loop iteration per respondent, so there will be several rows for each respondent. Each row will have the responseid (system generated respondent id) of the respondent and the code of the loop id for the iteration as identifiers, and then the answers for the questions inside the loop for that specific iteration for that respondent. This means you can export a hierarchical project without having to generate a flattened template.
• Single file - Instead of exporting loop data as separate files, you can export all data belonging to a project in one single file. Loop data will then be expanded. This means that variables will be created to represent each iteration of each question.
• Position of Loop Variables - only available when Single file is selected in the Loop Handling option. This allows the user to specify in which position the loop variables should be exported. The options are:
• Appended at end - the loop variables are appended at the end of the template.
• As in Questionnaire - the loop variables are positioned as the corresponding loop was placed in the questionnaire.

• Formatting – Select comma-separated, tab-separated or Custom as required.
• Custom Delimiter - if you have selected Formatting to be Custom, this field becomes active. Type in the character you wish to use as the delimiter.
• Text Qualifier - this property is available when you select Formatting as Comma separated or Custom. In these conditions, the separating character has a special meaning; it is used to separate the different values from the different variables. However some texts to be exported may include punctuation. Specifying quotes around texts ensures that any punctuation does not corrupt the file layout.
• Quoted Values - in some cases when exporting to Delimited Text File, commas will be removed from the answers to Open Text questions during the export. Check this box to ensure the commas are retained in the answers.
• Locale – specify the area or country in which the data in the file is to be used. This will allow the system to format fields such as date fields according to local standards.

Note: The Locale setting here must match the setting made on the Source tab (go to Delimited Text File for more information).

• Truncate Open Ends - for Open Ends (Open Text questions with no field width specified), it is recommended to truncate texts to improve performance. If a number of characters is specified for the Open Ends Width, texts longer than this limit, if any, will automatically be truncated. If No Truncation (Full Length) is selected, the whole text will be imported/exported, but the task will take significantly longer to execute.

• Open End Handling - defines how open ended questions are handled. The options are:
• Include Open Ends - all open end questions are included in the export.
• Exclude Open Ends - no open end questions are included in the export.
• Open Ends Only (one row per respondent) - only open end questions are included in the export file, with one row in the file for each respondent (all the answers for each respondent are in the same row).
• Open Ends Only (one row per answer) - only open end questions are included in the export file, with one row in the file for each answer given.

• File Encoding - in the File Encoding drop-down menu, choose the encoding method to be used. Click more… to expand the list.

• Encrypt File - data transfer encryption functionality makes it possible to perform secure data exports from Forsta Plus. The encrypted files can then be either ordered by email or sent to the FTP server for downloading. The users will have to decrypt the files using their private PGP encryption keys. Note that your company must license the Data Transfer Encryption add-on for this option to be available.
• Email Address – when Email is selected in File Transfer, this is the email address to which the file is to be sent. Default is the current user's (yours).
• File Transfer - export files can either be sent by email or placed on a Forsta or External FTP server. FTP may be a good option for large volumes of data, since emails with large attachments may be blocked. FTP can allow automation of data flows, since files can then be picked up automatically by another system/process. In the event External FTP is selected, the file name, Folder Name (at the external FTP location), the Host Name, and the FTP User name and Password must be specified. The Verify connection button is provided to allow you to check whether the FTP settings are correct. Note that your company must license the FTP add-on for the FTP options to be available (refer to the Professional Authoring documentation for more information).
• Override Email Options - when selected, allows you to override the standard export email options and customize both the subject and the email that will be sent to the export recipient. Checking this box displays a number of additional options.
• Override Filename - allows you to override the system-generated file name. Tick this check-box to open the file name text-box. Here you can edit the system-generated name. Note that when exporting Survey Data to the FTP server in Survey Data > Exports or Data Processing rules, the Override Filename option accepts relative paths, as for example “..\..\myftpfile_in_another_folder.txt”. In this case the file will not be stored in the default folder (“ProjectsData\p123123” or “RulesData\RuleN”), but rather directly under the (Company) Download folder.

Note: The Filename template must contain the '_^PROJECTID^_' part of the name as this will be replaced by the real project id during rule execution. Default is ^PROJECTID^_^USERID^_^TASKID^.