The mgiPoll Tag
Tag Behavior
Use the mgiPoll tag to collect and display the results of
online surveys.
Tag Syntax
The mgiPoll tag has three modes. Each mode has different required
and optional parameters. The modes of mgiPoll are:
- collect - Collects poll data.
- admin - Creates a web-based interface to manage polls.
- tally - Displays poll results.
Collect Mode
The collect mode of mgiPoll has one required parameter and
five optional parameters. The tag form is:
<mgiPoll mode="collect" name="Name" username="Name"
odbcDatasource="Source Name" odbcUsername="Name"
odbcPassword="Password">
Required Parameters:
- name - The name is the name of the poll that corresponds
with the data being collected.
Optional Parameters:
- mode - The mode is the function that the mgiPoll tag
performs. In "collect" mode, the mgiPoll tag
collects poll results and stores them in the poll database. "Collect"
is the default mode of the mgiPoll tag.
- username - The username is the username of the administrator
that created the poll. Polls created by different administrators
may have the same name and this username parameter differentiates
which poll data to collect. The default username is "Admin".
- odbcDatasource (NT only) - The odbcDatasource is the name of
datasource on the server that provides access information for
an external ODBC database. If the odbcDatasource parameter is
included, poll information will be stored in the specified ODBC
database rather than the internal MGI database. Inquire with
the server administrator for additional information about the
use of ODBC databases. If you include the
odbcDatasource parameter, the odbcUsername and odbcPassword parameters
are required.
- odbcUsername (NT only) - The odbcUsername is the username required
to access the ODBC datasource. The odbcUsername
parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource parameter.
- odbcPassword (NT only) - The odbcPassword is the code required
to access the ODBC datasource. The odbcPassword
parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource parameter.
Admin Mode
The admin mode of mgiPoll has one required parameter and four
optional parameters. The tag form is:
<mgiPoll mode="admin" username="Name"
odbcDatasource="Source Name" odbcUsername="Name"
odbcPassword="Password">
Required Parameters:
- mode - The mode is the function that the mgiPoll tag
performs. In "admin" mode, the mgiPoll tag creates
a web-based interface that allows you to add and manage poll
data.
Optional Parameters:
- username - The username identifies the poll administrator.
Administrators will only have access to the polls created with
their username. Polls created with different usernames (i.e,
by different administrators) may have the same name. The default
username is "Admin".
- odbcDatasource (NT only) - The odbcDatasource is the name of
datasource on the server that provides access information for
an external ODBC database. If the odbcDatasource parameter is
included, poll information will be stored in the specified ODBC
database rather than the internal MGI database. Inquire with
the server administrator for additional information about the
use of ODBC databases. If you include the
odbcDatasource parameter, the odbcUsername and odbcPassword parameters
are required.
- odbcUsername (NT only) - The odbcUsername is the username required
to access the ODBC datasource. The odbcUsername
parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource parameter.
- odbcPassword (NT only) - The odbcPassword is the code required
to access the ODBC datasource. The odbcPassword
parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource parameter.
Tally Mode
The tally mode of mgiPoll has two required parameter and eight
optional parameters. The tag form is:
<mgiPoll mode="tally" name="Name" username="Name"
color="Color" postArgumentName="Post Argument"
responseName="Post Argument Value"
responseNameCellWidth="Whole Number"
odbcDatasource="Source Name" odbcUsername="Name"
odbcPassword="Password">
Required Parameters:
- mode - The mode is the function that the mgiPoll tag
performs. In "tally" mode, the mgiPoll tag calculates
the current poll data and displays results in a bar graph.
- name - The name is the name of the poll to tally.
Optional Parameters:
- username - The username is the username of the administrator
that created the poll. Polls created by different administrators
may have the same name and this username parameter differentiates
which poll data to tally. The default username is "Admin".
- postArgumentName - The postArgumentName is the name
of the post argument to tally and display. The default behavior
is to tally all post arguments in the poll.
- responseName - The responseName is the value of the
post argument to tally and display. The default behavior is to
tally and display all values of a post argument. The
postArgumentName parameter is required if you include the responseName
parameter.
- responseNameCellWidth - The width of the cell in which
the response name is displayed in the tally. The default value
is 125.
- color - The color is the color name or hex code (including
pound sign - #) for the bars in the poll graph. If the color
parameter is not included, the first color in the poll admin
color cycle will be used.
- odbcDatasource (NT only) - The odbcDatasource is the name of
datasource on the server that provides access information for
an external ODBC database. If the odbcDatasource parameter is
included, poll information will be stored in the specified ODBC
database rather than the internal MGI database. Inquire with
the server administrator for additional information about the
use of ODBC databases. If you include the
odbcDatasource parameter, the odbcUsername and odbcPassword parameters
are required.
- odbcUsername (NT only) - The odbcUsername is the username required
to access the ODBC datasource. The odbcUsername
parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource parameter.
- odbcPassword (NT only) - The odbcPassword is the code required
to access the ODBC datasource. The odbcPassword
parameter is required if you include the odbcDatasource parameter.
Technical Notes
- Post Argument Name Limit - Post Argument names for
poll questions may not exceed 35 characters. The post argument
name is not shown to visitors and can be abbreviated to meet
the 35 character limit if necessary (e.g., "Q1", "Q2",
etc.). The post argument value is not limited and will be displayed
to the visitor as a label for poll results.
Example Usage and Output
Collect Mode
<mgiPoll name="President">
In this example, the data from the "President" poll
is collected from each poll submission and stored in the poll
database.
Admin Mode
<mgiPoll mode="admin">
When you access a page with the mgiPoll tag in admin mode,
the functions for creating polls and setting poll preferences
are displayed.
Tally Mode
<mgiPoll mode="tally" name="VicePres">
In this example, the results from the "VicePres"
poll is tallied and displayed in a bar graph.
<mgiPoll mode="tally" name="VicePres"
postArgumentName="Republican">
In this example, the results from the "Republican"
question of the "VicePres" poll is tallied and displayed
in a bar graph.
<mgiPoll mode="tally" name="VicePres"
postArgumentName="Republican" responseName="Dick Cheney">
In this example, the results for the "Dick Cheney"
value of the "Republican" question in the "VicePres"
poll is tallied and displayed in a bar graph.
Suggested Usage
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