Strider User Guide App and Website

Last Updated: April 2017

This guide will introduce the functionality of

Strider through Android devices and desktop

applications.

for data collection.

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Disclaimer The use of GPS devices, tablets and smartphones with MapItFast and associated AgTerra products

The internal GPS in your device can be used independently from online services to automatically set location information in the app, which is recorded as latitude and

longitude. GPS accuracy may be influenced by topology, environment and equipment.

Furthermore, the accuracy of the maps used in MapItFast (and its associated products: Strider, SprayLogger and TrackItFast) are not guaranteed. Please use

care when using MapItFast.

MapItFast requires online data transfers for some features, such as accessing online maps and sharing exported files. Accessing these features over data network services may incur costs from your provider. If you use the app and data

services on your tablet, you are responsible for any fees that your service provider charges. Your service provider is not the provider of MapItFast.

AgTerra Technologies makes no representations, expressed or implied, as to data accuracy, completeness, validity or suitability. The end user assumes the entire risk

as to the quality of the data. AgTerra shall not be liable regardless of the cause or duration, for any errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or other defects in, or

untimeliness or unauthenticity of data; or for any delay or interruption in the transmission of data to the user; or for any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

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Click a Topic to Jump to Page

Introduction 3

User Setup 3

Prepare your device Incompatabilities Download Strider app

Fill Forms 3

Prepare your device Incompatabilities Download Strider app

Upload a Form 5

Start with a form uploaded to the Strider website

Manage Forms 7

Add and remove forms on the website Download forms to your device

Using Forms 8

Gather and manage data on the computer Gather and manage data on a device

Reporting Data 16

Export data to a spreadsheet or generate custom reports

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Strider is an enterprise data collection system designed to make remote data collection, storage, and distribution easy and reliable. Currently, Strider has a mobile application that works on the Android platform and a website input compatible with most browsers. For a complete description of Strider’s features and benefits please visit www.agterra.com. This guide describes data input either through the MapItFast or Strider app on an Android smartphone or tablet or directly on the Strider website. An overview of data management in the web database is also described. Strider includes a form building system where non-programmers can easily build their own forms in Microsoft Excel and use a form conversion program to convert the file to the required XML format. For more information, see the Strider form builder guide also available from AgTerra. This document is dynamic and will change frequently as new features are added and existing ones enhanced. If you feel you have found an error please let us know at tel. 1-866-408-2675 or e-mail solutions@agterra.com.

Device Requirements

(1) Android OS: We recommend the latest version of the Android operating system to take advantage of Strider updates; Froyo (v. 2.2) will be adequate for most forms.

(2) Processor, memory requirements/limitations: We recommend at least 1 GHz processor and 128 MB Ram, however more may be needed for especially complex and/or lengthy forms.

(3) GPS, Camera (Optional): With these features on your device, pictures, bar code data and GPS locations can be captured with Strider.

(4) Accept 3rd party apps: You may need to set up permissions on your device to accept 3rd party

apps. A typical pathway would be: Settings > Security > Unknown sources (check ON)

Introduction

User Setup

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Incompatibilities

Strider’s user interface is somewhat similar to ODK (OpenDataKit) and you may be tempted to download the ODK Collect app from the Google Play Store. You cannot have both apps installed at the same time as they will interfere with each other.

Strider is NOT in the Google Play Store and must be acquired from AgTerra. (See next step).

Download Strider App

The Strider app is downloaded as a file named Strider.apk directly from AgTerra. There are three

ways to do this:

➢ MapItFast App The Strider app must be downloaded in order to fill out forms in MapItFast. An easy way to make sure

Strider is installed is to try adding a form to an object in MapItFast. If the app is not installed, a

notification will pop up asking if you wish to install Strider. Follow the on-screen prompts to install the

app. Once installed, the Strider app will allow you to fill forms directly in the MapItFast app.

➢ Direct Link In your device internet browser, type the following address: https://forms.agterra.com/Mobile. This will automatically start the download. When the download is complete, tap on the download icon and install the application.

➢ AgTerra Website Alternatively, go to www.agterra.com on your phone or tablet, then click on Products > Strider >Specifications at the top of the page. Once at the Strider page, scroll to the bottom and click on the Download the Android Application button to begin the application download.

Whether you build your own form or use one of the Excel templates provided by AgTerra, the file

must first be uploaded to the website before it can be downloaded to a device. A list of downloadable

form files can be found here: http://help.agterra.com/docs/strider/getting-started/ (password:

1tap2map)

To upload a form, log in to you Strider account at http://forms.agterra.com and select Form

Management from the dropdown list under the Forms & Reports tab on the upper right hand corner

of the screen. This will open the Form Management page. From here, simply click on the Add New

Form button to bring up the Upload window and navigate to the Excel file you wish to upload.

Upload a Form

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Once you click “Upload Form,” Strider will process the file and display a message when the conversion is complete. If you are modifying and testing a form, you may run into errors when uploading the file. Read more about form errors below.

Form Errors

If a form contains incorrect syntax or is missing an element, an error screen will appear once the form is done processing. A lot of the error may appear as “gibberish,” but you can often find more detailed description on the error by scrolling to the very bottom of the pop-up error window. Some common errors include:

• Missing a parenthesis ( or curly bracket { in a formula. Example: $a_integer}+${a_decimal}

Remember – only files with an .xls or

.xml extension will upload correctly.

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• Misspelling a field name or using the ${} function to “path” to a field that does not exist or has a different name.

Example: ${selectexample}='yes'

(The field name in the form is actually ${select_example})

Other possible causes of uploading errors:

• Form ID matches an existing form in Strider, but the data structure has changed. See Add and Delete Forms below for more information.

• A calculation contains a formula or function that is not accepted by Strider. Things to keep in mind:

o / must be used in place of div for a division formula. The / indicates something different in a form.

Scroll to the bottom for information regarding the error.

An ‘XPath’ errors tells you that a formula contains a survey name that is not in the form. Verify that all survey names used in formulas match those used in the ‘name’ column of the form.

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o When gathering a sum from a repeat group, sum( must be added to the beginning. Example - sum(${order_cost})

o Check your parentheses and brackets! A form can be rejected simply because a bracket is missing, extra, or out of place.

• A value in the name column contains a space or character that Strider can’t accept. Keep values in the name column simple yet concise so that they can be used as reference when building reports or reviewing data.

• More than one value in the name column is identical. The name column must contain unique values.

• A group or repeat group is missing the Begin or End statement. Make sure each group is “sandwiched” between a ‘begin’ row and an ‘end’ row.

• A select one or select multiple question type is missing choices in the choices tab, or the name field in both tabs does not match.

Add and Delete Forms

Forms must be uploaded through the Strider website before they can be used on a device. Strider identifies a form using the form_id field, which is specified in the .xls file. If you test a form and decide you want to change something, it’s important to know how your changes will affect the database structure of your form. If you keep the structure intact, you will be able to upload the revised form and replace the old form, retaining the same form ID. If the database structure is changed, you must either delete your old form and upload the new one, or upload the new form with a unique form ID. The following explains how different form modifications will affect the form’s structure within Strider:

• Changes made to anything in the columns to the right of the ‘type’ and ‘name’ columns (label, hint, appearance, relevant, calculation, etc.) WILL NOT affect the database structure. The form can be uploaded over the top of an existing one.

• Changes made to anything in the ‘type’ or ‘name’ column, if you’ve added or deleted a field, or if you moved a field to a different place in the form WILL change the database

REMEMBER! If you delete a form from your online account, you delete ALL the records submitted

with that form. If that is NOT your intention, then change the form_id in your Excel file and upload

as a new form. If you delete a blank form from your device, you can download it again as long as it

has not been deleted online. If you delete a filled form from your device, the blank form is not

affected, but your data (the filled form) is deleted. If you need to update a form such that your

database schema is affected (anything changes in column A or B on the survey tab, adding,

deleting or changing the order of rows) you should change the form name and ID and migrate the

data from the previous form to the new one. Contact AgTerra for help with this.

Manage Forms

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structure of the form. Strider will recognize and won’t allow you to copy over any existing form with the same form ID.

In order for the new form to upload correctly, you’ll need to change the Form ID in you.xls file. It can be as simple as adding something like _v2 to the end, just so it’s different from the Form ID of the one currently in Strider. You can skip this step and simply delete the old form if you don’t have any reports or critical data tied to it.

Before you delete a form, remember…

• If the form has a simple report associated with it, you shouldn’t delete that form from Strider until you have your new form uploaded and you’ve copied the report over. You do this in the Report Builder tab by clicking the Copy link next to the report you want to copy over and selecting your new form from the list.

• If you have any data saved with the old form that you want to keep with the new form, just use the Copy Data link next to the form in Form Management. This will copy any data that has a matching field name in both forms. Any fields that don’t match will be left blank.

• If you have a summary report associated with a form, you won’t be able to delete the form at all until it is no longer linked to that summary report. Because these are often time-consuming to build, this feature has been added to ensure that the report is not lost if a form is removed from Strider.

Forms on the Website

Form records can be filled out on the website by going to the Records tab, selecting the form from the dropdown list, and selecting Add New Record below the table of existing records.

Using Forms

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Although forms are often built with the user interface of a phone or tablet in mind, Strider makes it easy fill out forms on your computer as well. Instead of questions appearing page-by-page like they would on the device, all questions are shown on a single screen with outlines to define groups of questions. Repeat groups are indicated by a blue button with the name of the group.

Managing Records

The Records page, often called the Strider “dashboard,” provides an overview of all forms and records currently in your system. Records can be viewed, edited, sorted, and exported from this page. Some features of the dashboard are outlined below.

Repeat groups are indicated by a blue button with the name of the group

The light gray outline delimits a group of questions. If viewed on a device, these questions would make up one page of a form

Clicking ‘Save’ will automatically place the form in your completed records and send any reports if email addresses were provided.

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Using the Forms

Strider forms can be filled out one of four ways:

1) MapItFast Website

2) MapItFast App

3) Strider Website

4) Strider App

When a form is filled out on the MapItFast website, it can also be viewed and edited on the MapItFast

app, and vice versa. Forms may also be filled out on the Strider website or app. All forms filled in any

application will be saved in a centralized database on the Strider website. Form layout will look

somewhat different on the web than it will look on the app, but both will gather the same data.

Click Create New to set up a new query. Queries help you sort records and view important information at a glance. Search all fields in the records

using the Search box.

Check the boxes next to any records you wish to delete or export to a CSV file.

Search all fields in the displayed records here.

Click Edit to make changes to a record.

Generate a PDF report of the selected record(s).The Generate Report button will only be available if a report has been built in the Report Builder page.

Click and drag column headings to move left or right, click to sort values in ascending or descending order.

View record details in table format by clicking the Details button.

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Fill out a Form on the MapItFast website:

1) Go to www.mapitfast.agterra.com

2) You will be taken to the login page where you can enter your username and password.

-- Your username and password will be the same for both MapItFast and Strider –

3) Click the Select Project button at the top of the page and either select a project to open or

create a new project.

4) Once you are working within a project you can create a new point, line, or polygon that you will

attach your form to.

5) Click on the object to open the details window. Click on the Forms tab, then the Add Form

Button.

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6) A list of available forms will open. Choose the form you want to use.

7) Begin filling out form. You can save at any time and close the form to finish later. Any data

you’ve added to that point will be saved to the Strider server and can be viewed on the Strider

website.

8) Forms may be edited at any time by

clicking the “Edit” button next to the

record in the object details window.

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Fill Out a Form on the MapItFast App:

1) Open the MapItFast app and log in using your credentials.

2) Load a project either from the website (requires Internet connection) or from your device.

3) Click on a point, line, polygon, or photo point to open the details window.

4) Click the Add Form button.

5) A list of available forms will open. Choose a form to start filling it out.

6) A page will open with a summary of the questions in your form. You can click the Go to Start

button at the bottom to start at the beginning of the form or tap on a question to jump to that

page in the form.

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7) You can tap the back button on your device at any time to go back to the map viewer. Just

remember to tap Save Changes to save your current work on the form.

8) Your form data will automatically sync with Strider when your device is in a connected

environment and you can view the saved records on the Strider website.

9) Editing – forms may be edited at any time by selecting the map object and clicking the ‘Edit’

button next to the attached record.

Fill Out a Form on the Strider App:

Unlike the MapItFast app, the Strider app does not check the server for updates on forms and records. All form updates (such as list changes, calculation modifications, etc.) require a new download of the form off the server. If a form is created on the Strider app, it must be manually sent to the server when an Internet is available. Once a form has been sent, it will be removed from the app.

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A brief description of each button on the home page of the Strider App is explained below.

Follow the steps below to fill out a record on the Strider app:

1) When the Strider app is first opened, it will be a blank slate – no forms will be on your device. To

load a form, tap the blue ‘Load New Form’ button. Note – you need an Internet connection to

load a form from the server.

Enter data into a form saved on the device

Edit a record that was started earlier

Send completed records to Strider database

Download a form from Strider database

View and delete records and forms on the device

Requires Internet

connection!

Check the server for updates to a form (useful if a form is getting updated with new list items from a lookup table). All records must be sent in before lists can be updated.

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2) Enter your login credentials when prompted. The app will connect to the server and find the forms on your account. Check the box next to the form you want to load and click ‘Get Selected’.

3) The form will be loaded onto your device and will be available to fill out even if you aren’t

connected to the Internet.

4) To fill out a form, click on the ‘Fill Blank Form’ button on the home page.

5) Choose your uploaded form from the list.

6) The form will open on the starting page with instructions for using the form. You can swipe the

page left to go to the first page of the form.

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7) You will be asked to Save Form and Exit at the end of the form. Tap this button to finalize your

form and mark it as ready to send to the server. Note – your form won’t be sent to the server

automatically like forms in the MapItFast app. You still need to submit it.

8) To submit finalized forms, tap the Send Forms In button on the home page. Note – You must be

connected to Internet to send forms in. You may be asked for your credentials again.

9) Check the boxes next to the forms you want to send in and then tap Send Selected at the

bottom.

10) Your forms will be sent to the Strider server and you will be able to view them on the Records

page of the Strider website.

Remember – Once a form has been sent, it is no longer on your device. If you need to make changes to a record, it can be done on the website.

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Fill Blank Form

Once you’ve downloaded a form to your device, it’s time to start filling out records. Tap Fill Blank Form to see the list of forms available on your device. You can select a form from the list and begin filling out an entry. You do not need an internet connection for this part; any completed forms will be saved on your device until you are in a connected environment and choose to send them in.

If you have filled out part of a form and plan to come back to finish it later, you can simply tap the back arrow on your device. You will be asked to Save or Discard Changes. Select Save Changes to save the progress on your current record so that you can return to it later.

Filling out a form is relatively intuitive for those familiar with smartphones and tablet functions. To progress forward or back in a form, you can swipe the screen to the right or left using your finger. Your device keyboard will appear if text entry is required (sometimes only numbers if a field only allows integers or decimals). If a form has an option for pictures, your device camera will automatically open if you choose to take a picture. If a signature is required, a signature line open up in landscape orientation for you to sign your name.

By tapping on the Settings button on your device, you can bring up the General Settings option. Here you will find several options for customizing you user experience within the Strider app.

Clears any edits and closes the form.

Saves the current progress of a record on your device.

- Strider App Settings -

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The general settings window will open, displaying several useful settings options and important app information (see next page).

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The default for navigating form is a right or left finger swipe on the screen. Users can change this setting so that pages are navigated by tapping arrows at the bottom of the screen, or using a combination of swipes and arrows.

Choose text size in forms – Extra Large, Large, Medium (default), Small, or Extra Small.

Records will be saved on your device by default unless you choose to delete any records once they are sent to the server.

Video is currently not supported by the Strider system.

The Strider splash screen will show on application startup if this box is checked

Choose from High, Medium, or Low sensitivity when navigating the forms. Lowering the sensitivity level can sometimes improve form navigation and prevent unintended page swipes or text entry

Compress images to decrease file size and minimize server load.

Unfinished forms will be marked as finalized and can be sent in if this option is selected.

This option will auto send any finalized forms when a Wi-Fi connection is available.

This option will auto send any finalized forms when the device is within its cellular network

If a form has constraints or required fields, you can choose to validate constraints at each swipe (default) or defer validation after the form has been finalized.

This header shows the version of Strider installed on your device. AgTerra regularly updates the app so it’s good to make sure you have the most recent version.

Entering your username and password here will allow Strider to automatically fill in your credentials when you log into the server to load or send forms.

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Form Management

The form management page of the Strider app has two tabs – one for saved records (called Saved Forms) and one for blank forms. The Saved Forms tab shows all records that have been filled out on the device. These are shown here just for reference; forms cannot be modified from this screen. This page allows you to see which records have been sent to the server and which are still on your device as ‘Finalized.’ You can also delete records on this page.

The Blank Forms tab shows all forms on your device and allows you to delete forms. Unlike the MapItFast app, Strider does not automatically check for form updates. If you have recently changed a form on the Strider website, you will want to remove the old version from your device and upload the most recent one. Note – if you wish to update a form before sending in a record, you may remove the old version of the form without deleting the current version.

Strider has several options for compiling and sharing data gathered through your forms.

Export to CSV or XLS

To quickly create an Excel spreadsheet of the records in a form, click the Export button below the table of records in the Records page. For Excel users, the CSV or XLS file type may be used.

Simple Reports

Simple reports display information from a single record with a customized layout. These reports can be sent as a PDF email attachment when a form is completed, or they can be generated as needed from the website. Simple reports are built in the Report Builder page (Download form builder guide here).

Reporting Data

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Summary Reports

Summary reports or advanced reports display multiple records from one or more forms. While these reports can be beneficial in displaying a summary of your data, they can be somewhat challenging to build. AgTerra can provide support materials upon request to assist in building these reports.

User Activity Report

The user activity report gives administrators an overview of user activity on all forms. Using the “Start”

and “End” parameters on the top of the page, administrators can see which users filled out forms and

how many records of each form were filled out.

You are now familiar with the features available on the Strider website and app. If you have additional questions or would like to set up a training session, don’t hesitate to email solutions@agterra.com or call 1-866-408-2675.

Summary reports can display tables, images, and even pie charts and graphs.

Choose the date range and click Update to view the activity report.