Display Question Type

DISPLAY question types are used to display screens without expecting a data response. Possible functions include starting a section with interviewer instructions, conditionally painting different screens before a data entry question or placing a message on the screen for a set length of time.

The syntax of the DISPLAY question is:

!DISPLAY,subtype,option

Specifying a subtype, or option is optional.

Valid Subtypes

  • HTML/NOHTML
  • KEYBOARD_WAIT
  • TIMED_WAIT
  • WAIT
  • NO_WAIT

HTML/NO_HTML

The DISPLAY,HTML controls whether the html code specified on !HTML statements is applied to DISPLAY question types on an item by item basis.  You can use this suboption in place of using the {!HTML_DATA_QUESTIONS_ONLY} statement which also controls whether HTML is applied or not to DISPLAY questions.

But you sometimes have exceptions to whatever rule you are using so DISPLAY,HTML and DISPLAY,NOHTML allows you to do that without turning on/off the {!HTML_DATA_QUESTIONS_ONLY} statement.

EXAMPLE:

{!html_question_text_prefix=<b> }
{!html_question_text_suffix=</b> }

{ XDISPLAYGRID:
!GRID }

{ XDISPLAY1:
This is a heading that I want formatted with HTML.
!DISPLAY, HTML }

{ XDISPLAY2:
This is a  heading that I do not want formatted with HTML.
!DISPLAY, NOHTML }

{!ENDGRID }

In the example above, the text in the XDISPLAY1 display question will be bold but the text in the XDISPLAY2 display question will not.

KEYBOARD_WAIT

Shortform: DISP,KEYWAIT 

Like TIMED_WAIT, but will allow the interviewer to press enter to continue before the set number of seconds has passed.  (See TIMED_WAIT for more information).

TIMED_WAIT

Shortform: DISP,TIMEDWAIT

The TIMED_WAIT subtype displays the text on the screen, pauses for some seconds, and continues to the next question automatically. You must specify the number of seconds to pause as the option. The seconds can be specified as whole numbers or decimal (1.5) numbers.  The maximum number of seconds allowed is 60.

DISPLAY subtype TIMED_WAIT is used to display a screen for a set time.

EXAMPLE:

{  XDISPLAY:
Thank you for your time...
!DISPLAY,TIMED_WAIT,10 }

In the above example, a Thank you message is displayed for 10 seconds at the end of the interview. After the set time, the next question will appear automatically.

WAIT

Shortform: DISP,WAIT

The WAIT subtype displays the text on the screen and waits for Enter to be pressed to continue. This is the default subtype for a DISPLAY question.

EXAMPLE:

{ XDISPLAY:
This is a display question.
!DISPLAY, WAIT }

In this example, the text screen displays for the question XDISPLAY and after the text is read, enter needs to be pressed to continue.

NO_WAIT

Shortform: DISP,NOWAIT

The NO_WAIT subtype displays the text and goes to the next question without waiting for any interviewer response.

DISPLAY,NO_WAIT gives complete control of the interviewer screen when you find that you need to have additional text display or need to put text in different positions on the screen.  You can use it to paint the screen with text before asking the next question, which typically prints its text below the DISPLAY text.

When using a DISPLAY,NO_WAIT, make sure that the next question asked does not clear the screen when displayed, or the display text will be overwritten by the next question’s text.

EXAMPLE:

{ QTEXT:
The following is a list of products. Please read the name of each product to the respondent and record which one they like best. PRESS Enter TO CONTINUE
!DISPLAY,WAIT }

{!ROTATE,SCRAMBLE }

{ QFIRST:
APPLES
!DISPLAY,NO_WAIT }

{ QSECOND:
ORANGES
!DISPLAY,NO_WAIT }

{ QTHIRD:
BANANAS
!DISPLAY,NO_WAIT }

{!END_ROTATE }

{ QOTHER:
Other
!DISPLAY,NO_WAIT }

{ QDK:
Don’t Know (Do Not Read)
!DISPLAY,NO_WAIT }

{ QRESPLIST:
!FIELD,HIDE_RESPONSE_LIST
01 Apples
02 Oranges
03 Bananas
99 Other
DK Don’t Know }

This set of statements would first display the interviewer note about rating the products, and wait for an Enter.  Note that the instruction to press Enter was entered as part of the DISPLAY text; the question itself does not print any instructional text. It would then display the three products in random order, and the interviewer would record the favorite. Notice that the rotation keeps the Other and Don’t Know at the bottom.

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