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Formula Question: Using variables in feedback texts

1 Requirements

Giving a good feedback on a formula question, it may be required to use the variables $v1, $v2, ... and results $r1, $r2, ... defined in the question text also in the feedback text. Hereby, for example the calculation method can be shown using the actual variable values.

The following (mock-up) screenshot shows a formula question in a testrun with randomly setted variables, together with its corresponding feedback:

The second screenshot shows the corresponding edit question properties tab:

And the third (mock-up) screenshot shows the proposed question feedback tab:

2 Possible Enhancement

A reasonable enhancement of this new feature would be, if you also can insert formulas into the feedback text, which can contain variables that will be evaluated when showing the feedback to the participant. Hereby, intermediate results can be inserted into the feedback text.

The following (mock-up) screenshots show an example as an extension of the question above, which illustrate the significance of the described enhancement.

3 Additional Information

• Idea / concept: Mirco Hilbert, Mirco.Hilbert@hrz.uni-giessen.de
• Interest in funding: (please indicate if you are interested/able to fund this feature)
• Maintainer: (will be set by Jour Fixe / maintainer)
• Implementation of the feature is done by (will be set by Jour Fixe / maintainer)
• Testcases by: (please add your name if you want to create the testcases for this feature)

4 Discussion

Jour Fixe, October 12, 2015: We highly appreciate this request and schedule it for 5.2.

Heyser, Björn [bheyser] 22 Apr 2016: Imagine the following workflow on question authoring:

• Question gets created, some formula containing variables is configured
• Feedback is typed in and makes use of these variables
• Question formula gets adjusted and at least one or more variable gets removed (or even replaced)

What should happen to the feedback? It might be left in an inconsistent state relating to its content.

Hilbert, Mirco [mirco.hilbert] 26 Apr 2016: If the question is edited and saved and feedback texts are already existent, it would be helpful to show a short notification to remind the user of checking if the feedback texts are still consistent with the question.

Indeed, the usefulness of this type of notification does not concern only this feature request and formula questions. Generally, in any question type where the question author changes the question text or even only one answer item an already existing feedback text can become inconsistent.

A usability enhancement for this feature request would be, if the feedback tab lists all available variables, which are defined by the question (similar to the list of placeholders in the edit mode for the detailed view of a data collection). Additionally, in the feedback texts variables and formulars could be highlighted green, if the used variables are defined and the formulars are syntactically correct, and otherwise are red.

5 Implementation

{please give a description of the final implementation and add screenshots if possible}

Test Cases

Test cases completed at {date} by {user}

• {Test case number linked to Testrail} : {test case title}

Approval

Approved at {date} by {user}.