Sometimes it's convenient to combine multiple individual elements — numbers, texts, variables — into a single collection called an array. Arrays can be used to:

• Extract individual elements by their index
• Display the whole array to the respondent, with elements separated by commas
• Compare to another array to check if they match
• Search an array for an exact value (e.g. find if a respondent said "agree" or "yes" in any of their open-ended responses)
• Search an array for partial text (e.g. check if a respondent mentioned a brand, given an array of possible misspellings)

Syntax

• [ar << 1] — create array with number 1, or add 1 to an existing array
• [ar << 1,2,3,4] — create array with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4
• [ar_1 << "first", "second", "third"] — create array with text values
• [v4 << '0', 1, 2, 3] — mixed types are supported
• [ar3|3] — pipe in the third item from ar3
• [ar3] — pipe the whole array, comma-delimited
• [ar4|3 + 1] — add 1 to the third item in ar4
• [show if ar4|501 = 7] — show if the 501st item in ar4 equals 7
• [show if ar3 = ar4] — show if arrays are equal (order matters)
• [show if "first" in ar_1] — show if there's at least one "first" in ar_1
• [show if "st" like ar_1] — show if there's at least one text containing "st" in ar_1

Examples

1. You asked respondents where their most exciting vacation took place in an open-ended question. If the respondent mentioned a variation of the US country name, you want to show additional questions. At the beginning of the survey, declare: [usvariants<<"US","U.S.","United States","USA","U.S.A.","United States of America"]. Then use it to conditionally show questions: [show if Q5RC like usvariants].
2. During a survey you assign respondents labels like "early bird" or "influencer". Instead of individual variables for each label, use an array named labels. When a respondent qualifies, add the label: [labels<<"influencer"]. Then at Q10: [show if "early bird" in labels], and at Q11: [show if "influencer" in labels].

Shuffle

Randomly redistribute the positions of elements in an array. The optional max modifier limits the result to a specified number of elements.

• [scores_array<<1,2,3,4,5] [scores_array = shuffle scores_array] — shuffle first five natural numbers
• [scores_array = shuffle scores_array] — shuffle scores_array in place
• [arr2 = shuffle arr1] — shuffle arr1 and save into arr2
• [scores_array<<1,2,3,4,5] [scores_array = shuffle scores_array max 2] — shuffle and save only two elements
• [scores_array = shuffle scores_array max 2] — shuffle and keep only two elements

Reverse

Reverse the order of an array — the last element moves to the first position, the second-last to second, and so on.

• [scores_reversed = reverse scores] — reverse the scores array and store in scores_reversed

Unique

Remove all duplicates from an array, ensuring each element appears only once in the result.

• [scores_unique = unique scores] — store only unique elements from scores into scores_unique

Sort

Sort an array in ascending order. Behavior depends on the array type:

• Numerical arrays: ascending numeric order — 1 < 10 < 11 < 100
• Character arrays: numerals precede letters, capitals precede lowercase — "1" < "10" < "100" < "11" < "Apples" < "apples"

• [scores_sorted = sort scores] — sort and store in scores_sorted
• [scores_sorted_descending = reverse sort scores] — sort in descending order

Sort Elements by Array

Use an array of one-based indices to impose a specific display order for elements in the survey. Logic placement doesn't matter — it can be placed on any question, as long as the variable is initialized before the sorted question.

💡 Tip: For alphabetical sorting, see the simpler sort elements a-z approach.

• [CustomOrder << 4, 3, 2, 1][sort q2a by CustomOrder] — show Q2's four elements in reversed order (4 means element 1 goes to position 4)
• [CustomOrder << 4, 3, 2, 1][sort q2a by CustomOrder if gender='m'] — reversed order for male respondents only; females see the original order
• [CustomOrder << 4, 3, 2, 1][sort q2sq by CustomOrder] — reversed order for subquestions in Q2
• [CustomOrder << 1, 2, 3, 4] [CustomOrder=shuffle CustomOrder] [sort q2a by CustomOrder] [sort q3a by CustomOrder] — randomize order and apply the same order to both Q2 and Q3