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Write a survey specification to an importable .lss file

Source: R/write_lss.R
write_lss.Rd

Experimental. Turn an lss_spec() specification into a LimeSurvey 6 structure file (.lss, DBVersion 700) that imports directly through Create survey -> Import. The emitted file can be read back with read_lss(), checked with audit_lss() and rendered with render_questionnaire() – so the document reviewers read is produced from the very file LimeSurvey receives.

Usage

write_lss(spec, file, sid = 100001L, settings = list())

Arguments

spec

An lss_spec() object, or a plain list with the same structure (it is then validated through lss_spec() first).

file

Character. Path of the .lss file to write.

sid

Integer. Survey id embedded in the file. LimeSurvey assigns a fresh id on import when this one is taken, so the value rarely matters.

settings

Named list of surveys-table fields overriding the built-in defaults (e.g. list(anonymized = "Y", showprogress = "Y")). The defaults ship with the package and come from a real LimeSurvey 6 export, scrubbed – see lss_default_surveys_fields in the sources for the rationale.

Value

Invisibly, the path to the written file.

Details

Mapping choices, each validated against real LimeSurvey 6 imports:

  • Each kind maps to a LimeSurvey type and theme attested by a corpus of real exports (see lss_kind_map in the sources). Options of single-choice lists, rankings and array columns are emitted as answers; options of multiple-choice questions, item batteries and array rows as subquestions; scalar kinds and implicit scales (yes/no, gender, five-point, 5/10-point arrays) emit none.

  • The native other option is emitted as other = "Y" plus the localized attribute other_replace_text. Localized attributes MUST carry the language code: emitted without one, LimeSurvey silently ignores them and shows its default wording. Global attributes (exclude_all_others, max_answers, ...) stay language-less.

  • other_position / other_position_code control where the other option is displayed; exclude_all_others accepts several codes separated by ;.

  • Relevance equations are translated from the minimal syntax of lss_spec() into ExpressionScript (code.NAOK == "1").

  • Quotas are emitted with limit zero and the terminate action.

  • A mandatory or capped ranking also receives min_answers = 1, overridable through the question's attributes.

See also

lss_spec(), read_lss(), audit_lss(), render_questionnaire().

Examples

spec <- lss_spec(
  title = "Demo",
  groups = list(list(title = "G", questions = list(
    list(code = "q1", kind = "single", text = "Oui ou non ?",
         options = list(list(text = "Oui"), list(text = "Non")))
  )))
)
out <- tempfile(fileext = ".lss")
write_lss(spec, out)
#> ✔ Wrote /tmp/RtmphapTdf/file1b1950486fa1.lss (1 question, 1 group, 0 quotas).
audit_lss(out)
#> 
#> ── lssdoc audit ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
#> File: /tmp/RtmphapTdf/file1b1950486fa1.lss
#> Languages: "fr"
#> ✔ No anomalies detected.