Data Loss After Cascading Select List Update

[ike_mensah]

Dear Kobo Community,

I am writing to request urgent assistance with a data loss issue encountered after updating a cascading select list in a digital vehicle logbook form built on your platform.

Here’s a detailed explanation of the situation:

1. Form Update: Earlier today, I updated a cascading select list within the digital vehicle logbook form. This list is used to capture vehicle license plate information.
2. Data Loss: Upon users starting to make entries with the updated form, I discovered that the back-end data column containing vehicle license plate information for past entries is now blank. This issue only affects historical data; new entries made after the form update show the license plate information correctly.

I am concerned about the loss of historical vehicle license plate data and would greatly appreciate your assistance in retrieving it. If possible, please advise on the following:

• Potential Recovery Methods: Are there any methods available to restore the missing license plate data for past entries in the affected column?
• Data Integrity Check: Could you recommend any steps I can take to verify the integrity of other data points within the form, ensuring no similar issues exist?

To facilitate your investigation, I can provide additional details about the form update, or the specific cascading select list configuration. Please let me know if you require any further information from my end.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this critical matter.

[wroos]

Hint: Try to avoid changjng a form during data collection, e.g. through systematic pre-tests. If you really need a change, first develop and test it on a clone of your form, including data export for new and old case examples.

[Kal_Lam]

@ike_mensah, as a first check, would you mind downloading your data in XLS format to see if you can see the data there (which you assume is missing)?

[ike_mensah]

Thanks for your assistance, but the data still showed up as blank.