Multi-Modal Connection Option Field Types | Tiers III & IV

Multi-Modal Connection Option Field Types | Tiers III & IV

Most of the connection field types are identical to the survey field types, but there are a few minor exceptions.

Field Types Available for Connection Options



1) Text input. Open ended short text field
2) Text area. More text
3) Checkbox options. You can use as many checkbox options as you need. Members can select more than one option, but you can set a limit in the field editor.
4) Radio button. With radio button fields, there will always be one button selected. There can not be NO button selected. Be careful how you use this, because if a member doesn't complete the survey you will be assigning a default value to the member.
Note difference in radio button: Normally radio buttons have a default option pre-selected, because with normal radio buttons something must always be chosen. We've hacked the radio button field for the connection tiles so that there is no default and no pre-selected option.
5) Select. A dropdown, only one option can be selected.
6) Name field. This is rarely useful in the connections tile, but it's there in case you come up with a need for it.
7) Instruction text. If you need to put some explanatory or other type of text in the survey without a related input field, use this.
8) Header text. Bigger text without a related input field. Useful for use with the horizontal line (#9) for labeling new sections of the survey.
9) Horizontal rule. Useful for separating the survey into sections.

Placeholders offer a suggestion about what content you're looking for. It will be replaced as the member types into the field. If you don't want it there, delete it via the field editor.
Say more about what you're looking for with the description text. You can delete description text in the field editor, but you can't relocate it.
Do not use required fields in the connection options! If a member opens a connection tile with a required question, they cannot close that tile if the question is unanswered. Any random tile-clicks of unknown persons will trap your member into either refreshing the page or giving false information. Not good!

The Connections Field Editor Dialog Box

Checkbox field



The Checkbox field is the most complex - other field editor dialog boxes will have the same fields where relevant, they just won't have all of them.

1) Question Label. Make sure every question label is unique. Kumu won't read each instance a field if it is repeated (for example, if you have 'other' after more than one checklist - you'll need to differentiate the labels
2) Description. Can be deleted if not useful.
3) Options list. You can add as many options as you need.
4) Delete the option. Be careful with this. If the survey has been open and people have chosen this option, you will get a message saying it has data attached. If you click to delete the option anyway, those specific option-choices will be permanently deleted from the data-set. All other options will remain in the data-set. If you intend to keep the data, and just change the option wording a little, use the pencil instead.
5) Pencil icon. Makes the option box editable. You can make minor changes to the option wording without losing existing data. Be sure to click the checkmark that replaces the pencil when you are done editing.
6) Add button. Use this to add more options.
7) Elevator bar. When you add more options, they're usually not visible because they're at the end of list. Use the elevator bar to scroll to the bottom of the list to edit the new option.
7) Instruction text. If you need to put some explanatory or other type of text in the survey without a related input field, use this.
8) Required checkbox - Don't use in connection options! If a member opens a connection tile with a required question, they cannot close that tile if the question is unanswered. Any random tile-clicks of unknown persons will trap your member into either refreshing the page or giving false information.
9) Maximum number of choices - enables you to limit how many responses members can select from a list.
10) Save the changes to this question.
11) Cancel changes to this question.
12) Delete the question.

The process and database impacts of changing items in the connection options is exactly the same as with the survey - read more about that here.

The Rank-able Field in Connection Options

When using multi-modal connections, it's often desirable to set up what we call the 'rank-able' question. This should be the one most similar to what is used in the single-mode connection options. It is used in the Member View > Connections Page:
  1. For sorting using the 'Connected' button.
  2. On the face of the member tiles - for defining the green rank-number at the upper left of the tiles.
  3. Also usually used for decorating connections by 'rank' on the map in Kumu.
How to set up the rank-able question:
  • Decide which connection question is best suited to this special role.
  • It has to be a list with a single-choice option.
  • Fields that can be used:
    • Checkbox field - with a limit of one option.
    • Select field
  • Put that field at the top
You don't have to use a rankable question among your connection options. But if you do not, your tiles won't sort using the 'connected' button and there will be no green number on your member tiles. In kumu, you can decorate and differentiate your connections however you want, so not using a rank-able question will have no impact in Kumu.

You will probably encounter this pop-up when editing your connection options - right now the logic isn't right. If you understand the rank-able option specifics above, you can ignore it.
If you aren't sure, the best thing to do is check your set-up in the Member View - Connection Page to ensure it looks and behaves the way you want it to.



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