Form pieces reuse

[xamelon]

Description

Form is a list of questions grouped together around specific problem.
Form is used to capture data from respondents (patients,practitioners, etc...)

Some forms can be builded by common used blocks (patient info). Also, there are many forms
that consists of identical questions.

Current solution in Aidbox SDC is called subforms for layout part and schema for data schema part.
We have to separately describe schema part and layout part for reusable piece of form.

Schema part:

{:type zen/map
 :options [{:code 0
            :display "Not at all"
            :score 0}
           {:code 1
            :display "Severe"
            :score 1}]}

Layout part:

{:layout {:bind [:depression-level]
          :label "Do you have depression?"}}

We can't say this approach is about real reuse. We can't change id of question, we can't change label of the question.
We limited only to this question id (see :bind key in Layout definition) and this label.

Problem

How to define a form piece template that is enough flexible and self-sufficiency. Template that can be used as-is or with
some changes

Use cases

• I want to reuse typical inputs in several forms: patient name, patient address
• I have several identical questions. Want to create template with answers list and just change label and id

Approaches

• Template for just one question

• Any form can be used as template and included to another form

• Both approaches :)

Questions

• Should we store assembled form somewhere?
• How does it affect answers data schema?
• Can I define form template and then override all atributes in it? (On what level we give flexibility in templates?)
• What can I define in form template? Only field definition? Or also extraction and pre-fill part?

[xamelon]

Template for just one question

Simpliest case when we can define a template for one question

choice-question
{:type "choice"
 :label "Placeholder label"
 :options [{:code "0" :display "Not at all" :score 0}
           {:code "1" :display "Severe" :score 1}]}

And then we can use it in a form using special keyword (:use or :template) and override some attributes if needed

[{:use choice-question
  :label "Do you have depression?"
  :id "depression-flag"}
 {:use choice-question
  :label "Do you have suicidal thoughts?"
  :id "suicidal-thougts"}]

In the example above two questions will reuse from template answers list, :id and :label will be overriden.

How does it affect answers data schema?

Answers schema doesn't know it using templates

Can I define form template and then override attributes in it?

Yes, that's possible. The template and usage will be merged in resulting form.

[xamelon]

Any form can be used as template and included to another form

There are form about patient information:

patient-info-form
{:item [{:id :first-name
         :label "First Name"
         :type "string"}
        {:id :last-name
         :label "Last Name"
         :type "string"}]}

We can include it to another form:

form
{:item [{:use patient-info-form}
        {...}
        {...}]}

In the example above patient-info-form with all fields will be included in form.

Can I define form template and then override attributes in it?

That's can be done with partially describing this form overriding attributes in particular fields.
Too easy to make a mistake in that part. It does more make sense to include form in another as-is without
any changes.

[xamelon]

Templates can't be used from DSL, templates are snippets

In simpliest case when we can define a template for one question

choice-question
{:type "choice"
 :label "Placeholder label"
 :options [{:code "0" :display "Not at all" :score 0}
           {:code "1" :display "Severe" :score 1}]}

We don't create any specific DSL to include question/form templates. These templates are only for use
in UI builder.

User can select question template, and this template will be included in form.

Can I define form template and then override attributes in it?

Yes. Once template included in form, we don't work with template anymore, we work with question directly,
can add/edit and delete attributes.