The CensusIO app
The CensusIO app is the first-party way to collect in the field: a mobile app (iPhone and Android) and a desktop app that share the same offline-first engine as the web app. It connects with the same one setup code as ODK Collect, so an admin sets a collector up once and it works with either.
What it adds over a one-way submission
Section titled “What it adds over a one-way submission”ODK Collect sends a finalized form one way. The CensusIO app does more:
- Two-way sync. Edits and new records flow both ways. A record you fix on the web shows up on the device, and a record you fix on the device syncs back.
- On-device conflict review. If the same record was changed in two places, the app walks you through picking which value to keep, field by field, with a short reason, right on the device.
- Live validation and skip logic. The same engine as the web app runs on the device, so required and out-of-range values are caught as you go, and fields a skip rule turns off are hidden (you do not scroll past questions that do not apply).
- Photos. Capture or attach a photo on a photo field; it is kept on the device and uploaded on the next sync, so you can photograph a specimen with no connection.
Connect
Section titled “Connect”- Get your setup code from your invite email or your organization’s Field collection page (the same code ODK Collect uses).
- Open the app and scan the code, or paste it by hand.
- The app finds your organization from the code and connects. On the desktop app you can instead sign in through your browser.
Collect
Section titled “Collect”- Download forms once while you have a connection; they then open offline.
- Fill a form one question at a time, with a progress bar, back and next, and a review screen at the end. Repeat groups (a haul with many fish, say) are a list you add entries to; a location question captures the device GPS with a manual fallback.
- Save the record. It is stored on the device and waits to sync.
Work offline, then sync
Section titled “Work offline, then sync”Capturing never needs a connection. When you have one, tap Sync now: your records (and any staged photos) go up, authoritative records come down, and any conflicts surface for review. Records show a not-yet-sent or sent state so you always know what is waiting.
Fix a record
Section titled “Fix a record”Open a saved record to see its answers. From there you can edit it (the same form, prefilled) or delete it. An edit syncs like any other change. If you have records not yet sent, signing out warns you first so nothing is left behind.
Languages
Section titled “Languages”The app follows your device language: English, French, or Spanish, for both the app’s own screens and your form’s field labels (when your survey type carries those translations).
Entering coordinates and measurements
Section titled “Entering coordinates and measurements”Two entry conveniences carry across the app and the web collect form, for forms that use them.
Coordinates in any notation. A location field takes a coordinate typed in decimal degrees, in degrees and decimal minutes, or in degrees, minutes, and seconds, with a hemisphere letter (N, S, E, W) or a leading minus for the sign. A display control switches how the current value is shown back (degrees and decimal minutes is the usual working notation). Whatever notation you type, the value is stored the same way, so a plotter reading and a phone reading match. The device still captures its own GPS position for a location field as before; this is for a coordinate you type or read from paper.
Measurements in your working unit. When a number field is set up with a unit of measure, it shows a unit selector next to the value. Enter a depth in fathoms or a length in your preferred unit; CensusIO stores it in the survey’s standard unit and shows it back in the unit you entered. Switching the selector re-expresses the same measurement, so nothing is lost.