Hi everyone,

tl;dr: 1. Can I upload files from a web-location / URL and 2. can I do this via URL-field?
So that my survey link is e.g. example.com/survey?uploadquestion1="https://ex2.com/myfile.zip " and the upload-question is filled with the file provided at the link?

I'm planning to have users do things on a different webpage in between a survey, see also the other question here . Once they have finished, files are created. I would appreciate to be able to fetch those files from the other application into the survey, so as to minize the scatteredness of my data. The respondents on the other hand should not have those files, so regardless of the lack in comfort, it is no option to let them do this.

Thanks!

tobite wrote: The respondents on the other hand should not have those files, so regardless of the lack in comfort, it is no option to let them do this.

Exposing the datalocation via URL is no good idea.

There is no feature to allowing LimeSurvey download data via URL inside a survey.

Even if someone is providing a plugin for download data via external URL, you will need something to protect the data repository on the other side.

Thanks! Yeah I agree for sensitive data. In this case it is fortunately not confidential information. In itself it is as public as your profile picture. It's just our survey design that would suffer if we give it to them. And yes I know if its in an URL smart ones could just get the info from the link etc., POST data would probably be better to make it not too obvious. Still that's better than giving them a file, ask them to upload it themselves and give a note to please act as if they do not have it yet. A .htaccess password e.g. never hurts though, you're right.
But 'the other side' is really not the point of that question Unless we want to build something like this!

The idea is not so far off, back in the development logs I found this plan :

The use of the file' URL for uploading from the web instead uploading from one's own computer

But then this probably has never been realized, in line with what you say. I've also been searching and can't find it..

Just think of: please look for your favorite picture of a cat on the internet an post the link to the file here. It would only make sense to use that link to download the file rather than to just have it linked in the survey, losing the reference when the file vanishes some months later.

tobite wrote: It would only make sense to use that link to download the file rather than to just have it linked in the survey, losing the reference when the file vanishes some months later.

I recommend to post a feature request in the bugtracker. Just to no loosing reference to that idea again

1.) Extending question type to allow upload data via URL instead of browser.
2.) Extending question type to allow upload data via URL without user interaction


I don't see a approach for a simple workaround. Can you specify the type of data that needs to be retrieved via URL? Perhaps that allows others to provide more ideas for an workaround.