GSX Questions

It was something that was started quite sometime ago but wasn't made compulsory. Questions are a set of data that was posted as questions and user is supposed to answer it accordingly. Its as simple as that.

However, the Questions are nested questions and no fixed pattern. Previously, a pointer is used if there are nested questions. It could not work that well. Recently GSX changed the data format to JSON and the Questions were set in nested JSON format. This makes it much easier to follow as we just need to traverse the nesting structure typical of JSON.

Fortunately, Questions uses fixed format in the form of Questions and Answers. The nesting is always at the Answers array or as a array in the Questions level.

This blog talks about how to traverse through the list and nested questions using FileMaker. As it is, GSX returns a JSON. Since FileMaker has JSON functions that can read nodes from JSON stored in fields or variables and the format (path) of reading the nodes is like "XX.YY.ZZ". If it is an array, just add the array number after the node name like "XX[0]".

The method of traversing the nodes is simple. The path is stored in a variable.  We start off with $trees="questionDetails[0].trees[0].questions[0].answers[0]". Using JSONListKeys($json;$trees) we can get a list of keys. If there is no answers, we remove the last node and add 1 to the previous level array then repeats to find the answer keys.

Upon finding the answer, we post the question and gets an answer from user. Depends on answer type, user have to respond accordingly. Once finished answering then we look for nested questions in the answer. If there are nested questions, we add one new level after answers and go to the first question in the nested questions.

In the nesting, if there are more items in the array, we go into the next item in the array and look for questions or answers. If there is no more or no questions/answers. we back up one level and see if there are more items in that level.

In this way, we could go into the nesting systematically and back up to the higher level if there are no more array item.

GSX requires you provide the question ID when you answers. So you must create an answer JSON that corresponds to the Questions. Every time you add a question/answer level you need to add the array first so that when you answer, you can write the answers using the same $trees array.

I won't be diving into showing examples of traversing. Do figure out how to do it yourself.