CHAPTER 5

About the Internet Survey Machine Survey Files

The Internet Survey Machine creates a variety of different files. These files have specific file extensions which indicate what type of data is contained within the file.

Files that get created on the webserver by the Internet Survey Creator

When a new survey is started, the Internet Survey Creator appends the survey file name specified with a .jdb file extension. This "survey file" contains most the information about a survey that is needed to create an HTML survey form or be administered using the Internet Survey Respondent Java applets. Here is a list of files that can possibly get created on your webserver by the Internet Survey Creator:

• .dfh Definition file containing color settings etc. for HTML survey form generation
  .xmh is the replacement file extension for the .dfh HTML survey form parameters
  
• .dfj Definition file containing applet parameter settings for Internet Survey Respondent
  .xmj is the replacement file extension for the .dfj JAVA applet survey parameters
  
• .jdb Survey file containing questions, skip patterns and other survey option settings
• .htm HTML Survey form the respondent views in their browser to answer the survey
• .atm Web page automatically generated upon deploying the survey using Java 1 (AWT applet)
• .jtm Web page automatically generated upon deploying the survey using Java 2 (JFC applet)
• .msg Custom "thank you" message returned for HTML surveys (ISM-Client uploads these files)
• .pos The collection file for each survey that stores all the respondents' answers
• .uaf Contains a User's Profile information - created/located in the surveysaid directory
• .xml Contains the overall administrators default survey parameter settings for users.
  

Files that get downloaded or created locally by the Survey Analyzer

The jdb and pos files get downloaded from the webserver by the Survey Analyzer

• .pos The collection file for each survey that stores all the respondents' answers
• .jdb Survey file containing questions, skip patterns and other survey option settings

These file types get created locally using data originating from the downloaded jdb and pos files

• .rdb One of the trio of files that makes up a Survey Said survey database.
• .sdb One of the trio of files that makes up a Survey Said survey database.
• .tdb One of the trio of files that makes up a Survey Said survey database.
• .exp Exported survey data containing the specified range of questions and respondents
• .tmp Temporary file used for processing the posting file into the Survey Said database
• .ttp Temporary file used to determine multiple submissions from Internet respondents

A Survey Said survey database is comprised of the following files;

filename.SDB (Always Exists - Contains questions & options)

filename.RDB (Created upon being answered the first time)

filename.TDB (Contains all typed in character responses)

The .RDB file is created once respondent data has been processed into a survey database.

The RDB, SDB and TDB files MUST be kept together, because they reference information within each other. Furthermore, they must all be in the same directory when the administrator analyzing the survey.