Blaise Internet
The following extensions are available:
- Architecture
The scalability of Blaise Internet has been improved. The first step in improving the scalability has been made by developing the Blaise Service for the internet version of Blaise 4.7. In a Blaise Internet interview we distinguish three tasks that in principle can be performed by different servers:- Processing a web page and sending a new web page.
- Applying the Blaise rules.
- Reading and writing the gathered data.
The first two tasks can be distributed over as many servers as needed. The storage of data should be handled by only one database server. Scalability can be achieved by introducing a Blaise Database Server and by installing one or more Blaise Rules Servers for running Blaise Internet interviews. The following figure illustrates this. Each arrow represents a TCP/IP connection. Across that connection XML-messages are exchanged.
For more information see Blaise 4.8 architecture
- Special layout
Blaise Internet 4.8 gives you more control over the layout of web surveys. The extensions give you the possibility to specify where all question elements should be positioned.
This is achieved by:- Support for new-style Blaise menu files.
In Blaise 4.8 Internet we use the Blaise menu files (*.bmf) that were introduced in Blaise 4.7.
Notice that we only use the panels and not the menu items.
- Support for new-style Blaise menu files.
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- At this moment we support the following group types:
- Table
- Other-Specify
- MultiColumn
- Matrix (implements Blaise TABLE definition)
- Custom (This types gives you the opportunity to define your own group type)
The basic layout of the group is determined by its type. But it is possible to reposition the fieldpane elements of the involved questions.
Active Question elements.
For some groups it is a good idea to show a certain question element only for the active question and not for all questions of the group. For instance, the FieldText of a question in a matrix group can better be shown for the active question only. This can be achieved by defining a FieldText-element as Active Question element.
- Blaise Internet 4.8 does not support InfoPanes anymore.
The InfoPane displays information for the active question only. In Blaise Internet 4.7 the only supported InfoPane element is the Question text. In Blaise Internet 4.8 Question Grouping also provides you with a way to define one question element that displays the question text for the active question: namely by defining the FieldText element as Active Question element. Notice that not only question texts, but also help texts and error texts can be defined as Active Question Element. In a Question Group the exact dimensions and positions of the question elements can be specified. Thus Question Grouping provides more functionality than InfoPanes. Therefore Blaise Internet does not support the use of InfoPanes.
- Extending the ModeLibrary with Internet elements.
Compared to Blaise 4.7 a FieldPane can have the following extra elements:
- ErrorText
- HelpImage
- HelpText
- RemarkText
- TagImage
Notice that in Blaise 4.7 these elements where generated by the stylesheet and that their location was fixed.
In Blaise 4.8 Internet the actual position of the FieldPane elements is taken into account.
Warning: if you use an old modelibrary for a new internet survey, the error text will not be shown, because it is not a visible Fieldpane element.
- At this moment we support the following group types:
- Other improvements
- Integration of the Working-database into the specification file.
- Consolidation of several dialog stylesheets into one dialog stylesheet biHTMLDialog.xsl.
- Show the effects of a different screen resolution in the preview.
- Support for Javascript-less interviews.
If Blaise Internet detects a browser which is known not to support Javascript or a user that has not enabled the use of Javascript, it will dynamically adapt its contents and serve Javascript-less pages well. - Support for Single page Interviews.
In Blaise 4.8 it is possible to simulate the Form Based mode in Interview Mode.