How does specifying the bind::esri:fieldType column as null affect the survey in ArcGIS Survey123?

Answer

Publishing a survey from ArcGIS Survey123 Connect creates a hosted feature layer in ArcGIS Online. By design, each question added to a survey creates a field in the hosted feature layer. The bind::esri:fieldType column in the XLSForm in ArcGIS Survey123 Connect controls the field type and length created from the survey questions. The null value can be specified in the column to achieve several objectives, and it can also affect the survey outcomes after publishing. This article describes the effect of specifying the bind::esri:fieldType column to null.

What does specifying the bind::esri:fieldType column as null do to a survey?

Every question in a survey where the bind::esri:fieldType column is specified as null does not create a field in the hosted feature layer in ArcGIS Online.

How does specifying the bind::esri:fieldType column as null enhance a survey?

• It allows a survey to capture multiple locations.
• It simplifies the data stored for a survey with complex calculations.
• It allows the addition of new questions to a survey that references a hosted feature layer.

Refer to Esri Community: The Power of Nothing for more information on the capabilities of the bind::esri:fieldType column specified as null.

How does specifying the bind::esri:fieldType column as null affect the data view on the ArcGIS Survey123 website?

• All data for the fields with bind::esri:fieldType specified as null in a survey are not recorded.
• The web map does not display the submitted geometry.
• The image, audio, and file attachments submitted via a survey are not available on the website and in the Map Viewer pop-ups.

How does specifying the bind::esri:fieldType column as null affect the ArcGIS Survey123 field app inbox?

The ArcGIS Survey123 field app inbox can be used to view and edit submitted surveys. It pulls the data to be displayed from the hosted feature layer in ArcGIS Online. The following issues occur because the hosted feature layer does not have the data to be pulled by the inbox.

• All questions in a survey with the bind::esri:fieldType columns specified as null are displayed as empty when viewing and editing in the inbox.
• By design, a field with a concatenation calculation auto-calculates the field value when viewing and editing via the inbox. However, when the bind::esri:fieldType column is set to null, the calculation still gets performed and the result is displayed when viewing and editing the form, but clicking the 'recalculate' button becomes necessary to update the displayed value.

How does specifying the bind::esri:fieldType column as null affect a geometry question?

By design, a survey can only have one geometry question to publish successfully. When there are more than one geometry question needed in a survey, the null value must be specified in the bind::esri:fieldType column for the second and consecutive geometry questions. Specifying the null value for the first geometry question creates a hosted table instead of a hosted feature layer.

What can be done to resolve the issues that emerge from specifying the bind::esri:fieldType column as null?

If applicable, remove the null value from the bind::esri:fieldType column in the XLSForm spreadsheet, update the survey in ArcGIS Survey123 Connect, and republish the survey. This creates the necessary fields for the questions and records the submitted data in the hosted feature layer.