SHOW and HIDE apply very similar logic to a question.
SHOW – Hides a question by default until the set of circumstances defined in the rule are met.
HIDE – Shows a question by default until the set of circumstances defined in the rule are met.
Best Practices
Use either SHOW or HIDE across all the rules in your TouchPoint. This is primarily for simplicity and logic's sake. It makes it easier for others to understand the logic of a TouchPoint when it is all consistent.
Each question should only be associated with one conditional rule statement. Example below:
It is best to turn on question numbering (at least temporarily) when working with conditional rules.
Rule #1:
In the above example, IF A-2 is Equal To "X" THEN A-7 should SHOW.
This means, by default, A-7 is hidden from the end User. Only when the above circumstances is true will A-7 be shown.
If a second rule is created to expand upon when A-7 should be shown, we may run into issues.
Rule #2:
With both rules in place, A-7 may be stuck in a contradiction. If Rule #1 is met but Rule #2 is NOT, should the question show? In this case, the simple answer is to combine the rules.
Rule #3:
By using the "Any or All", you can determine whether all IF statements must be met or if either statement should be met for the question to show.
Limitations
The major limitation within conditional rules is that there is no "OR" statement.
The following statement is NOT possible within the current configuration.
If ("X" and "Y") or ("B" and "C"), then SHOW A-7
The only possibilities are:
If "X" and "Y" and "B" and "C". then SHOW A-7
OR
If "X" or "Y" or "B" or "C". then SHOW A-7
We recommend Users take this into consideration when building their forms. Ensuring that questions only have one set of ANY or ALL circumstances that can SHOW or HIDE a question will keep the logic in check.
Users can also implement the use of identical questions. If you have two questions that are identical, one can show under the "X" and "Y" circumstance and one can show under the "B" and "C" circumstance.
Note: In reporting, multiple identical questions can be easily combined with variables.
Expected Behavior
When forms do not follow our best practices, we often see the following behaviors in the TouchPoint form:
Questions SHOW or HIDE always instead of following the conditional rules
Questions follow the rules when taking the form but do not follow the rules when the editing the form
Questions save the data to reporting but when the form is edited, the data appears to be 'missing'.