Topic: Need ideas for my current project

[Keith™]

I am tasked to build a dynamic application. The application is basically a survey. This needs to be user friendly and allow for an administrator to define the number and type of fields and questions to be asked.

Any ideas?

[dgorsman]

Look for AutoDesk surveys, particulary for the BETA programs, and see what you can improve.  That shouldn't be too hard.  They've gotten a *bit* better but are still difficult to answer properly.

[mohnston]

Are you limited as to what type of app it is?
Web, windows form, AutoCAD, java etc.?

[Keith™]

It will be a windows desktop application with forms and database.

I have looked at some of the survey applications available but none of them really do what this one needs plus it is very difficult with most of them to design a survey.

The requirements are:
The collected information will be stored locally in a database (probably adodb)
The questions will cover a wide variety of response type .. i.e. yes/no, multiple choice, text entry etc. The survey designer will need to be able to define the field, the associated question and the type of acceptible response, plus the responses if it is a yes/no or multiple choice type question.
It will need to have geocoding and reverse geocoding ability
All addresses must be locatable on a map, such as google maps or mapquest
This survey application will need to be able to repeat certain question blocks multiple times based on the previous response. i.e.
Where were you at 8am?
Did you leave that place and go someplace else?
If Yes ask the following questions, else exit the question block.
Where did you go?
Did you leave that place and go someplace else?
If Yes repeat the question block, else exit the question block.

I've attached a simple flowchart to describe it better.


Finally, it must be user friendly and able to be navigated quickly (this is really a design issue though)

I just need some ideas about how to implement the continuous loop and storage of data when the interviewee responds to the repeatable questions multiple times .. if I knew there wouldn't be more than 4 responses, I'd list 4 response blocks then prepare the room in the database, but as it stands, some will have no responses while some may have an unknown number of responses.

[Kerry]

I'd add ;

Please Rate the experience ?
Possibly 1 <-> 10 ...

[Keith™]

If you are asking what my experience level is, I guess it really depends on what you compare it to. I've been writing complex applications for many years with multiple levels of interaction, including database applications. I wouldn't consider myself a genius by any stretch, as there are others who are certainly more capable, on the otherhand, I tend to take on the projects where others have tried and failed.

I'd say I am at least in the 85th percentile, probably higher .. like I said, no genius, but certainly capable. Like everyone else though, I have weak areas.

mohnston, just to expand on my previous comments - the bulk of the code will likely be written using C# or C++ while about 15% will be javascript with a negligible amount of php or maybe perl in order to interact with google or mapquest.

Incidently, did you know that the license for Google maps in a desktop application is $20,000 per year with a 100000 query limit? Talk about a money maker ... maybe I need to charge more ...

[Kerry]

If you are asking what my experience level is,  < .. >

No, I'm not asking that.
I said

I'd add ;

Please Rate the experience ?
Possibly 1 <-> 10 ...

Meaning I'd add that option to the app ...

unless you have me "ignored" and you were talking to someone else.

[Jeff H]

Incidently, did you know that the license for Google maps in a desktop application is $20,000 per year with a 100000 query limit? Talk about a money maker ... maybe I need to charge more ...

If your demad is 90,000 a year and a typo at a rate of 1 out of every 10 looks like it could get quite expensive.

[Keith™]

No, I'm not asking that.
I said

I'd add ;

Please Rate the experience ?
Possibly 1 <-> 10 ...

Meaning I'd add that option to the app ...

unless you have me "ignored" and you were talking to someone else.

nope .. no ignoring here .. I just didn't understand the direction you were going. I thought you might have some insight that you didn't want to waste the time giving if it wouldn't be understood ... talk about an abject failure .. hell, I didn't even understand the question properly.  :ugly: :ugly:

So yes, that is a given .. the user pool will be data entry clerks with basic typing skills, so probably about a 6 or 7 .. if we are talking about their ability to design a survey and understand the process of defining fields. There will be two, maybe three people with the ability to define the survey properly, but in the end, I guess training users should be expected.

If your demad is 90,000 a year and a typo at a rate of 1 out of every 10 looks like it could get quite expensive.

Yeah, I still don't understand the pricing ... I'll let the client work that out ... oops .. I made a mistake on the pricing and page views ...

According to the guy I spoke with (I just reread the email with the quotes) it is as follows:

If your application is for business internal use:
$20,000 for 250K page views per year
$37,500 for 500K views per year
$55,000 for 750K page views per year
$72,500 for 1.5 million page views per year

If your application is for a consumer product:
$20,000 for 1 million page views per year
$37,500 for 2 million page views per year
$55,000 for 3 million page views per year
$72,500 for 5 million page views per year

However, the other option is to get a per user license:
$20,000 for 150 users
$72,500 for 800 users
$142,500 for 1,600 users
$177,500 for 2,500 users

So, the last option might be the best alternative, especially since there is no limit to the page views per year.

[pkohut]

OpenStreetMap might be an option instead of Google Maps.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/

[Keith™]

OpenStreetMap might be an option instead of Google Maps.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/

I might be interested in using it on a local server at some point, but for now, API use is not allowed in read-only mode. I will be using the map to pinpoint GPS locations on the fly and return the corrected address. OpenStreetMap has some great features (individual hosting is a huge benefit) but from the documentation I was reading there are still some licensing issues that would have to be worked out.

I'll certainly contact them though .. thanks for the info!