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Reasons to use QR Form.

Before you can get answers into a spreadsheet, you need to setup some kind of mechanism to ask questions and to import them into the spreadsheet.

Traditionally, this is achieved by using html and several scripts plus of course a data base in the back to hold the incoming answers until they have been imported. With QR, you do not need all that, the only place to use a Visual Basic script is inside the active spreadsheet itself.

 

The setup.

I have tried to compare the methods commonly used when setting up a form. Of course, there are different ways to do this but the picture are roughly the same.

Steps to achieve automation HTML QR Skills
Design the form Normal
Setup data base to hold submissions   Expert
Create data base tables   Expert
Java script for input validation   Expert
PHP script to receive submissions   Expert
PHP script for data collection   Expert
File access or mail box   Normal
Data base driver on office computer   Power
Excel VBA setup on office computer Power
Normal Excel work on office computer Power
Number of steps to achieve automated import 9 4  

As you can see, QR only requires four steps to setup a fully automated survey. You even get the benefit from saving the expert assistance. In addition, it is faster, safer and easier to make changes. You see, if you need to add a question, you only have to adjust the form and the spreadsheet. Read more about QR Designer. | Read how QR works technically.

Communication.

HTML pages, especially the dynamic ones, can only live on a web server. QR Forms and other files can exist on all sorts of media and network. Read more about collecting data

Carrier HTML QR
Web server
Mail account  
File  
Portable media like CD's and USB Memory  
Offline  
Online

 

Persistency.

It is true that you can use many file types to communicate a survey. Before deciding what file type you want to deploy, look at the pros and cons for the most common file types.

Program Excel Acrobat IExplore QR Form
Extension XLS PDF HTML QR
Requires scripting    
Client need a paid license      
Client need helper application      
Client need reader installed  
Persistent layout
Input validation  
Tabular input    
Designed for batch import    
Build in submission mechanism    

Mail and other text-formatted files are not appropriate to use for this purpose simply because they do not offer a persistent structure and they do not offer any input validation.

 
Home | Design forms | Collect replies | Desktop Pinger | FAQ | Download & buy | About

The big internet arrogance.

When looking at the news and computer magazines, it is easy to get the impression that everybody has a permanent multi-megabit internet connection.

There is another truth out there.

In the real world only 21.9 % of the global population uses the internet.
In the US, 72.5 % of the population uses the internet but only 21.4 % actually use a broadband connection.

The numbers vary. The best-connected country in the world is Bermuda with its 36.5 % of the population connected via broadband. On the second and third position, we have the Netherlands (32.8 %) and Denmark (31.8 %). USA is on the 19th position of broadband connected population.

Online activity still cost money for most of the population in the world. Many people are still connected with a modem and a phone line. They do not have the option to get a fixed monthly rate but are deemed to pay by the minute they use the net or in some cases by the amount of data transferred.

On a personal level, I use most if not all options to connect. I travel a lot and use the internet in many different situations. You should see my bag with connection devices; it contains a Wireless card, a UMTS/GSM card (the modem is internally on the PC) and several wires to phones and networks.

I think that we, the internet publishers need to realize that many of our users still pay for the time they are surfing and they certainly are paying for answering questions asked by us.

Read more on Internet World Stats

The code.

If the VB code in the box makes sense to you, there is no reason for you to hire an expert to setup office automation. It actually only takes three lines of code to setup the QR Data import library.

Private Sub FileButton_Click()
  Dim QRData As New QRData.Nodes
  Dim N As Long

  If QRData.OpenDialog(False) Then
    N = QRData.GetNode("/QRForm/Reply/PhoneEdit/Text")
    Sheet1.Cells(3, 2) = QRData.NodeAsString(N)
  End If
End Sub

The code above is an example of how to import a QR form into MS Excel using an open file dialog. Read more about collecting data

 
PJ Applications September 2008