Data download not working for forms with external select (select_one_from_file)

Hi Team,

All my forms with the external select option fails to be exported with the new export interface. The forms have 7 CSVs for which just a few questions use as options. This section also uses the choise-filter option so there is a cascade for region, district and communities. I need help on this urgently to know what to do.

Also I am unable to even view the data

I get this error - error:

Server Error (500)

Welcome to the community, @nattie! When you have the select_one_from_file question type, you may not be able to download your data in the XLS version. In this case, you will have to download the same in XLS (legacy) version.

Hello @Kal_Lam,
Important info, as legacy has limited options, e.g. for data transfer to SPSS

  • Is it already in the documentation, please?
  • Is this the same for CSV format?
  • Will KoBo change this, to make it working with XLS also?

Kind regards

@wroos, kindly please be informed that this is not a long term solution. It’s just a temporary solution until we fix the select_one_from_file in our system.

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Thanks!

Do we have a GitHub link to follow the issue, please?

@wroos, do you mean CSV export to upload the data for SPSS?

Yes, for example. (Any CSV download).

We prefer using XLSX as (import) format for SPSS. Here is a guideline: https://libguides.library.kent.edu/SPSS/ImportData

@wroos, if it’s a case for SPSS, kindly please be informed that KoBoToolbox is bringing a fix that should solve the issue, most probably in the next release.

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Many thanks for the response @Kal_Lam . Too sad for me though. Unfortunately the legacy interface dos not also allow to download data from all deployed versions of a form. Not able to download the SPSS labels as well. Hope this could be fixed in the next release.

Hello,
Maybe a workaround could be: Create and deploy a new version of the form (for this export), changing the …_from_file to a normal select_one listName (with your choices or a dummy one) or even to a text field and export as XML.

Would be interesting if you share here if these workarounds is working. (I am esp. not sure for the text option.)

For the SPSS labels you could generate a SPSS import text file with Excel (formula with SPSS VALUE LABELS syntax). You may also transfer your items into a choice list in a new version of your form, add a related (dummy) select_one type and export SPSS labels. You could also do this with an extra form and one data case. You need to have at least one reference to a choice list in the form to bring the item labels out, but the data itself can be empty.

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