Can a form submission be checked against a previous one for errors?

  • librarianamy
    Asked on February 19, 2018 at 2:01 PM

    Hi. I've been using a Google form to keep stats of our library's patron counts (which staff members enter based on numbers from our security gate). I have found that my staff sometimes enter incorrect numbers. While this doesn't usually cause too much trouble, occasionally the number they enter is less than the previous number (which is impossible), and the resulting calculations are thrown way off. I can't find a way to do the following in Google, so I'm wondering if Jotform can do it.

    Is there a way to either

    1) Validate a field based on the same field in a previous submission (e.g. if the current answer is less than the previous one, an error message shows up), OR

    2) Display an error message when the form is submitted, if the number is less than the previous submission?

    In other words, is there a way for a staff person entering a patron count to be alerted that they've likely made a mistake in their number entry?



  • Adrian
    Replied on February 19, 2018 at 3:15 PM

    Unfortunately, it is not possible to compare the submission data against a previous submission.

    You can only compare the data that is inputted in the same form but that doesn't seem to be what you need.

    Let us know if you have other questions.