We would like to seek your attention on a matter of Kobo database.
We recently upgraded our subscription to Kobo Pro. We are using a form with multiple deployment. All the data was very nicely maintained and stored until we redeployed the form for the last time. We found errors in our analysis (in Power BI) while we added 4 new questions in the form.
We followed the steps to resolve the issue shared from the forum and information available on the internet but nothing found useful.
When we are downloading the Database we are not getting a particular field filled in the excel file. When we tried to understand the error in the data tab in kobo, we found that all the previous entries (which is almost 98% of the current data) have blank cells in a column namely “Digital Sakhi Name …” i.e. <digitalsakhi_same>. This value comes from a media CSV file along with other columns. But in this case the Name of Digital Sakhis are not available in the specific Column but available in a separate column named “digitalsakhi_same” which is a duplicate column found after the redeployment of the form. The problem is, we are not getting that column in our downloads.
Therefore, we are requesting you to help us to merge those two columns or make both of them available in the downloaded Excel File.
@SabujSangha, could you also let the community know exactly what you did before redeploying the form? Maybe that should help the community to troubleshoot your issue. In addition, please also share a screenshot of your issue so that the community can understand the issue pictorially.
Yes that found after the changes made in form but it reflects the wrong analytics in Power BI, as that duplicate values is not comming in the dowload method either in KPI or XML/XLS file. It will be fixed if we can replace the blanks column with the data from that duplicate column that appeared after addition of the questions. The Marked Cells in the picture is showing that the database became blakn (99% of our Data) after the changes made in the Form in 24 Nov 2023, but some of the data reflected in the same column at the same time. But the data of those blank cells is available in the shown table at another duplicate column. Currently, all the data is being storred in the Marked column only, which is the original column. How it is happening ?
These are the same row of the marked cells but in=t is the very duplicate column.
This duplicate column is not getting reflected in any method of download.
We need to combind these two Columns, That will be the solution only, I think!
so if there is any process for the same known to anyone, that could be helpfull.
All this is a result of changing the form during data collection.
You probably need to do the combination now outside of KoboToolbox, for ex. with a concatenate function in Excel/PowerBI.
Maybe, the community found some workaround, e.g. using bulk edit to write a formula in the empty cells working for XML on save of bulk edit or to write an Excel formula in the empty cells which gets activated later in Excel after export? (But something like ${RefVariable} didn’t work.) @Kal_Lam , @Xiphware ?
Thanks for your reply, but the issue is, the duplicate column is not getting reflected in download formats either xls or any of that available. All the data reflected in the cells of that duplicate column is blakn in the downloaded XLS file (Marked in Red). But all the new entries are ok, we can see the data came in the cells of it’s original column (Marked in Green).
Yes, currently, all our users are using updated versions of form, otherwise they couldnot enter the data in new questions in the forms. We are getting all the data properly now .
But the problem is our 99% DATA is not being reflected in the in their original column and in downloads even after Checking On the option to allow all the versions of the form.
No, in Exports we dont get all the values, but can see in the table view in kobo.
No, we found saame data in exports as labets or xml.
We added 4 new questions and redeployed.
Can you confirm that the option “include all versions” is active when you export?
Can you share a screenshot of the related export cells and these cells in the table view, both as XML values, please?
It seems that you used choice names (not labels here) like "Pakuria, " and “Noada Panur”. But for choice names the same rules should be applied as for variable/question names, see Using the Question Options — KoboToolbox documentation.
Only letters, numbers, and underscores are allowed in this field, and the field must start with a letter or an underscore.
Could you share a screenshot of the related part of your choice list, please? E.g. with “Pakuria,” and “Naoda Panur”.
Please, try the export with ALL questions/elements (as XML and as labels) and review if the “duplicate” column will appear (at the right side of the columns). This is the default, but you set a special selection, see first screenshot Data After Re-deployed Form - #15 by SabujSangha.
Thank You So Much first of all!
I found that duplicate column in the downloaded XLS by using your suggested method.
But, is there any process to marge those inside kobo, so my realtime Power BI dashboard can show the exact data? I am using KPI link of this Kobo Form through web feed in Power BI. But for this error the dash bord is showing wrong values to present this column.
