Hello,

I apologize if this question has already been answered.


I am just getting started with ASP/ADO.NET and have been given the assignment of developing a multi-page questionnaire.

I have decided to go with the following structure for my answer table:

id,
userId,
questionId,
value

What I am trying to do (and I apologize if I am phrasing this incorrectly) is pass a 2-dimensional array of questionIds and value pairs to a method, which I have defined in an Object Data Source (an Answer class). I would like to loop over this array and add the name/value pairs to the table.

I have looked everywhere for a real-world ASP.NET solution to this problem and have found nothing (Perhaps I am asking the wrong question, also!).

If any one can provide me with a solid example of how I can achieve this or point me to one, I would be most appreciative.

Any additional explanations, advice, in gathering information related to ASP and ADO.NET are welcome.

Thank you so much!

Hi there,

You may want to take a look at the book ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results: http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTit...471749516.html

It features a complete chapter about questionnaires called the SurveyEngine. It comes with the full source for the app and a thorough explanation about its inner workings and extensibility points.

Cheers,

Imar
---------------------------------------
Imar Spaanjaars
Everyone is unique, except for me.
Author of ASP.NET 2.0 Instant Results and Beginning Dreamweaver MX / MX 2004
Want to be my colleague? Then check out this post.

I know this is a forum for assiting fellow programmers but you seem to be in the very, very early stages of a project and your questions are very general.

So another way to get this done is to submit a request for quote to a company that already does this sort of thing...like say...the company I work for :) We can make quick work of any survey project.

That being said, I see you have a basic answer table there. What data type are your answers? Are they all integers? varchar? What about the fact that likely some questions will have integer answers, some decimal answers, and others varchar answers? Some might even involve uploading some type of file...so this demands a more complicated database structure.

If you are planning to just covert everything to varchar and store all datatypes that way, stop and think about the repercussions of that decision. It can be done but it can make reporting and using the data tricky. It also opens the door much wider for corruption of the data, and survey's typically are only worth the cost if they are accurate. Just some food for thought...

Neil Timmerman
Programmer
Veris Consulting

Thanks for the pointer Imar, the code samples from your book gave me valuable insight for this one particular issue. Nice plug too.

As for your reply, thenoseknows, I think what you're essentially saying is that I should pay you to do the thinking for me, which is absurd.

The schema I'm using is significantly more complex than the glimpse I've provided for this post. I should also think that someone with your "expertise" would be able to infer at least some the column data types by the way they are named.