Config files reference

This section is a reference on FormComposer's standard configuration files and object attributes.

Config files structure

You will need to provide FormComposer with a JSON configuration of your form fields, and place it in generators/form-composer/data directory.

• The task config file should be named task_data.json, and contain a list of JSON objects, each one with one key form.
• If you want to slightly vary your form within a Task (by inserting different values into its text), you need to add two files (that will be used to auto-generate task_data.json file):
  • token_sets_values_config.json containing a JSON array of objects (each with one key tokens_values and value representing name-value pairs for a set of text tokens to be used in one form version).
  • form_config.json containing a single JSON object with one key form.
  • For more details, read on about dynamic form configs.
• If you want to insert code (HTML or JS) into your form config, you need to create insertions directory in the form config directory, and place these files there
  • For more details, read on about insertions.

Working config examples are provided in examples/form_composer_demo/data directory:

• task data config: simple/task_data.json
• form config: dynamic/form_config.json
• token sets values config: dynamic/token_sets_values_config.json
• separate tokens values: dynamic/separate_token_values_config.json to create token_sets_values_config.json
• resulting extrapolated config: dynamic/task_data.json

To understand what the concept of "tokens" means, see Using multiple form versions section.

---

Config file: task_data.json

Task data config file task_data.json specifies layout of all form versions that are completed by workers. Here's an abbreviated example of such config:

[
  {
    "form": {
      "title": "Form example",
      "instruction": "Please answer all questions to the best of your ability as part of our study.",
      "sections": [
        // Two sections
        {
          "name": "section_about",
          "title": "About you",
          "instruction": "Please introduce yourself. We would like to know more about your background, personal information, etc.",
          "fieldsets": [
            // Two fieldsets
            {
              "title": "Personal information",
              "instruction": "insertions/personal_info_instruction.html",
              "rows": [
                // Two rows
                {
                  "fields": [
                    {
                      "help": "",
                      "id": "id_name_first",
                      "label": "First name",
                      "name": "name_first",
                      "placeholder": "Type first name",
                      "tooltip": "Your first name",
                      "type": "input",
                      "validators": {
                        "required": true,
                        "minLength": 2,
                        "maxLength": 20
                      },
                      "value": ""
                    }
                  ],
                  "help": "Please use your legal name"
                },
                { ... }
              ]
            },
            {
              "title": "Cultural background",
              "instruction": "Please tell us about your cultural affiliations and values that you use in your daily life.",
              "rows": [
                // One row
                {
                  "fields": [
                    {
                      ...
                      "multiple": false,
                      "options": [
                        ...
                        {
                          "label": "United States of America",
                          "value": "USA"
                        },
                        ...
                      ],
                      "type": "select",
                      ...
                    }
                  ]
                }
              ],
              "help": "This information will help us compile study statistics"
            }
          ],
          "triggers": {
            "onClick": ["onClickSectionHeader", "FIRST"]
          }
        },
        { ... }
      ],
      "submit_button": {
        "text": "Submit",
        "tooltip": "Submit form"
      }
    }
  },
  ...
]

Form config levels

Form UI layout consists of the following layers of UI object hierarchy:

1. Form
2. Section
3. Fieldset
4. Fields Row
5. Field

Form objects attributes

Each of the form hierarchy levels appears as an object in form's JSON config, with certain attributes.

While attributes values are limited to numbers and text, these fields (at any hierarchy level) also accept raw HTML values:

• help
• instruction
• title

Note that, due to limitations of JSON format, HTML content needs to be converted into a single long string of text.

You can style fields with HTML-classes in classes attribute. You can use any bootstrap classes or our built-in classes:

• hidden - if you need to hide element and show it later with custom triggerm, but you do not need it be a fully hidden field ("type": "hidden")
• centered - centered horizontally

TBD: Other classes and styles insertions

---

Config level: form

form is a top-level config object with the following attributes:

• id - Unique HTML id of the form, in case we need to refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• classes = Custom classes that you can use to restyle element or refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• instruction - HTML content describing this form; it is located before all contained sections (String, Optional)
• title - HTML header of the form (String)
• submit_button - Button to submit the whole form and thus finish a task (Object)
  • id - Unique HTML id of the button, in case we need to refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
  • instruction - Text shown above the "Submit" button (String, Optional)
  • text - Label shown on the button (String)
  • tooltip - Browser tooltip shown on mouseover (String, Optional)
  • triggers - Functions that are being called on available React-events (onClick, see JS trigger insertion)
• sections - List of containers into which form content is divided, for convenience; each section has its own validation messages, and is collapsible (Array[Object])

---

Config level: section

Each item of sections list is an object with the following attributes:

• id - Unique HTML id of the section, in case we need to refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• classes = Custom classes that you can use to restyle element or refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• collapsable - Whether the section will toggle when its title is clicked (Boolean, Optional, Default: true)
• initially_collapsed - Whether the section display will initially be collapsed (Boolean, Optional, Default: false)
• instruction - HTML content describing this section; it is located before all contained fieldsets (String, Optional)
• name - Unique string that serves as object reference when using dynamic form config (String)
• title - Header of the section (String)
• fieldsets - List of containers into which form fields are grouped by meaning (Array[Object])
• triggers - Functions that are being called on available React-events (onClick on header, see JS trigger insertion)

---

Config level: fieldset

Each item of fieldsets list is an object with the following attributes:

• id - Unique HTML id of the fieldset, in case we need to refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• classes = Custom classes that you can use to restyle element or refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• instruction - HTML content describing this fieldset; it is located before all contained field rows (String, Optional)
• title - Header of the section (String)
• rows - List of horizontal lines into which section's form fields are organized (Array[Object])

---

Config level: row

Each item of rows list is an object with the following attributes:

• id - Unique HTML id of the row, in case we need to refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• classes = Custom classes that you can use to restyle element or refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• fields - List of fields that will be lined up into one horizontal line

---

Config level: field

Each item of fields list is an object that corresponds to the actual form field displayed in the resulting Task UI page.

Here's example of a single field config:

{
  "id": "id_name_first",
  "label": "First name",
  "name": "name_first",
  "placeholder": "Type first name",
  "title": "First name of a person",
  "type": "input",
  "validators": {
    "required": true,
    "minLength": 2,
    "maxLength": 20,
    "regexp": ["^[a-z\.\-']+$", "ig"]
    // or can use this --> "regexp": "^[a-z\.\-']+$"
  },
  "value": ""
}

---

Attributes for "field" config level

value attribute

The value attribute specifies initial value of a field, and has the following format:

• String for input, textarea, email, hidden, number, password, radio, and select with "multiple": false field types
  • For radio and select fields, it must be one of the input options' values
• Object for checkbox
  • The object should consist of all checkbox options with their Boolean value, e.g. {"react": true, "python": true, "sql": false}
• Array<String> for select with "multiple": true
  • All array items must be input options' values, e.g. ["python", "sql"]

Attributes - all fields

The most important attributes are: label, name, type, validators

• help - HTML explanation of the field/fieldset displayed in small font below the field (String, Optional)
• id - Unique HTML id of the field, in case we need to refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• classes = Custom classes that you can use to restyle element or refer to it from custom handlers code (String, Optional)
• label - Field name displayed above the field (String)
• name - Unique name under which this field's data will be sent to the server (String)
• placeholder - Text faintly displayed in the field before user provides a value (String, Optional)
• tooltip - Text shown in browser tooltip on mouseover (String, Optional)
• type - Type of the field (input, email, select, textarea, checkbox, radio, file, hidden) (String)
• validators - Validators preventing incorrect data from being submitted (Object[<String>: String|Boolean|Number], Optional). Supported key-value pairs for the validators object:
  • required: Ensure field is not left empty (Boolean)
  • minLength: Ensure minimal number of typed characters or selected choices (Number)
  • maxLength: Ensure maximum number of typed characters or selected choices (Number)
  • regexp: Ensure provided value confirms to a Javascript regular expression. It can be:
    • (String): a regexp string (e.g. "^[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+$") in which case default matching flags are igm are used
    • (2-item Array[String, String]): a regexp string followed by matching flags (e.g. ["^[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+$", "ig"])
  • fileExtension: Ensure uploaded file has specified extension(s) (e.g. ["doc", "pdf"]) (Array<String>)
• value - Initial value of the field (String, Optional)
• triggers - Functions that are being called on available React-events (onClick, onChange, onBlur, onFocus, see JS trigger insertion)

Attributes - file field

• show_preview - Show preview of selected file before the form is submitted (Boolean, Optional)

Attributes - select field

• multiple - Support selection of multiple provided options, not just one (Boolean. Default: false)
• options - list of available options to select from. Each option is an object with these attributes:
  • label: displayed text (String)
  • value: value sent to the server (String|Number|Boolean)

Attributes - checkbox and radio fields

• options - list of available options to select from. Each option is an object with these attributes:
  • label: displayed text (String)
  • value: value sent to the server (String|Number|Boolean)
  • checked: initial state of selection (Boolean, default: false)

Config file: form_config.json

Form config file form_config.json specifies layout of a form in the same way as task_data.json, but with a few notable differences:

• It contains a single JSON object (not a JSON array of objects)
• Some of its form attributes definitions must contain dynamic tokens (whose values will be extrapolated, i.e. substituted with variable chunks of text) - see further below.

Config file: token_sets_values_config.json

Sets of token values are specified as a JSON array of objects, where each object has one key "tokens_values". Under that key there's a key-value definition of all tokens in that set.

Example:

[
  {
    "tokens_values": {
      "model": "Volkswagen",
      "make": "Beetle",
      "review_criteria": "insertions/review_criteria.html"
    }
  },
  {
    "tokens_values": {
      "model": "Nissan",
      "make": "Murano",
      "review_criteria": "insertions/review_criteria.html"
    }
  }
]

Config file: separate_token_values_config.json

Lists of separate tokens values are specified as JSON object with key-value pairs, where keys are token names, and values are JSON arrays of their values.

Example:

{
  "actor": ["Carrie Fisher", "Keanu Reeves"],
  "genre": ["Sci-Fi"],
  "movie_name": ["Star Wars", "The Matrix"]
}