Skip to contents

sdstudio

sdstudio is a companion package that support the surveydown survey platform. It launches a Shiny webapp and transforms the typical code-heavy survey creation workflow into an accessible Graphical User Interface, making it easy to create, preview, and manage surveys without extensive programming knowledge.

Installation

The sdstudio package is not yet on CRAN, but the development version can be installed from GitHub:

# install.packages("pak")
pak::pak("surveydown-dev/sdstudio", ask = FALSE)

Launch the Studio

The surveydown Studio is the main application in sdstudio - a unified Shiny interface for complete survey lifecycle management. Launch it with:

sdstudio::launch()

Studio Features

🏗️ Build Tab - Visual Survey Creation

  • Drag-and-drop interface for intuitive survey construction
  • 15 survey templates covering basic to advanced use cases:
    • Basic templates (Default, Question Types, YAML-based)
    • Advanced features (Conditional logic, Random options, Reactive questions)
    • Specialized surveys (Conjoint experiments, Interactive maps, Live polling)
  • Dual-pane editor with visual builder and code editor (ACE integration)
  • 12 question types including multiple choice, text, numeric, sliders, dates
  • Real-time synchronization between visual interface and underlying code
  • Undo/redo functionality for all editing operations
  • Local/Live mode switching for development and production workflows

👁️ Preview Tab - Live Survey Testing

  • Real-time preview of your survey as you build
  • Responsive preview modes: Desktop (widescreen) and Mobile (375px) views
  • Automatic refresh when survey code changes
  • Interactive testing environment before deployment

📊 Responses Tab - Data Management & Analytics

  • PostgreSQL database integration with connection pooling
  • GSSAPI encryption support with automatic fallback options
  • Real-time analytics dashboard showing:
    • Total responses and daily averages
    • Completion rate tracking
    • Cumulative and daily response trends (interactive charts)
  • Interactive data table with search, filtering, and sorting
  • CSV export functionality for data analysis
  • Visual connection status indicators with detailed feedback

Key Capabilities

Template System: Choose from 15 professionally designed templates ranging from basic surveys to advanced conjoint experiments and interactive visualizations.

Visual Survey Builder: Create surveys using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface with real-time code synchronization, eliminating the need for manual coding while maintaining full code access.

Database Integration: Seamless PostgreSQL connectivity with enterprise-grade security (GSSAPI encryption) and automatic connection management.

Responsive Design: Built with Bootstrap 5, providing a modern, mobile-friendly interface that works across all devices.

Development Workflow: Switch between Local (development) and Live (production) modes with one click, supporting iterative survey development and testing.

Database Configuration

The studio supports flexible database connection modes:

# Auto mode (recommended) - tries GSSAPI first, falls back if needed
launch()

# Prefer mode - uses GSSAPI if available, plain connection if not  
launch(gssencmode = "prefer")

# Disable mode - forces plain connection (useful for VPN environments)
launch(gssencmode = "disable")

Configure your database connection using environment variables or the built-in Settings interface within the studio.