adding trial_duration to survey-html-form using requestSubmit() gives a type error

[nrschoen]

I used the code from a previous question to add a trial_duration to the survey-html-form:

if (trial.trial_duration !== null) {
  jsPsych.pluginAPI.setTimeout(function() {
    display_element.querySelector('#jspsych-survey-html-form-next').requestSubmit();
  }, trial.trial_duration);
}

However, I am getting following error:

TypeError: display_element.querySelector('#jspsych-survey-html-form-next').requestSubmit is not a function. (In 'display_element.querySelector('#jspsych-survey-html-form-next').requestSubmit()', 'display_element.querySelector('#jspsych-survey-html-form-next').requestSubmit' is undefined)

Here is the plugin with the changes:

/**
 * jspsych-survey-html-form
 * a jspsych plugin for free html forms
 *
 * Jan Simson
 *
 * documentation: docs.jspsych.org
 *
 */

jsPsych.plugins['survey-html-form'] = (function() {

  var plugin = {};

  plugin.info = {
    name: 'survey-html-form',
    description: '',
    parameters: {
      html: {
        type: jsPsych.plugins.parameterType.HTML_STRING,
        pretty_name: 'HTML',
        default: null,
        description: 'HTML formatted string containing all the input elements to display. Every element has to have its own distinctive name attribute. The <form> tag must not be included and is generated by the plugin.'
      },
      preamble: {
        type: jsPsych.plugins.parameterType.STRING,
        pretty_name: 'Preamble',
        default: null,
        description: 'HTML formatted string to display at the top of the page above all the questions.'
      },
      button_label: {
        type: jsPsych.plugins.parameterType.STRING,
        pretty_name: 'Button label',
        default:  'Continue',
        description: 'The text that appears on the button to finish the trial.'
      },
      autofocus: {
        type: jsPsych.plugins.parameterType.STRING,
        pretty_name: 'Element ID to focus',
        default: '',
        description: 'The HTML element ID of a form field to autofocus on.'
      },
      dataAsArray: {
        type: jsPsych.plugins.parameterType.BOOLEAN,
        pretty_name: 'Data As Array',
        default:  false,
        description: 'Retrieve the data as an array e.g. [{name: "INPUT_NAME", value: "INPUT_VALUE"}, ...] instead of an object e.g. {INPUT_NAME: INPUT_VALUE, ...}.'
      },
      autocomplete: {
        type: jsPsych.plugins.parameterType.BOOL,
        pretty_name: 'Allow autocomplete',
        default: false,
        description: "Setting this to true will enable browser auto-complete or auto-fill for the form."
      }
    }
  }

  plugin.trial = function(display_element, trial) {

    var html = '';
    // show preamble text
    if(trial.preamble !== null){
      html += '<div id="jspsych-survey-html-form-preamble" class="jspsych-survey-html-form-preamble">'+trial.preamble+'</div>';
    }
    // start form
    if ( trial.autocomplete ) {
      html += '<form id="jspsych-survey-html-form">'
    } else {
      html += '<form id="jspsych-survey-html-form" autocomplete="off">'
    }

    // add form HTML / input elements
    html += trial.html;

    // add submit button
    html += '<input type="submit" id="jspsych-survey-html-form-next" class="jspsych-btn jspsych-survey-html-form" value="'+trial.button_label+'"></input>';

    html += '</form>';
    display_element.innerHTML = html;

    if ( trial.autofocus !== '' ) {
      var focus_elements = display_element.querySelectorAll('#'+trial.autofocus);
      if ( focus_elements.length === 0 ) {
	      console.warn('No element found with id: '+trial.autofocus);
      } else if ( focus_elements.length > 1 ) {
	      console.warn('The id "'+trial.autofocus+'" is not unique so autofocus will not work.');
      } else {
	      focus_elements[0].focus();
      }
    }

    display_element.querySelector('#jspsych-survey-html-form').addEventListener('submit', function(event) {
      // don't submit form
      event.preventDefault();

      // measure response time
      var endTime = performance.now();
      var response_time = endTime - startTime;

      var question_data = serializeArray(this);

      if (!trial.dataAsArray) {
        question_data = objectifyForm(question_data);
      }

      // save data
      var trialdata = {
        rt: response_time,
        response: question_data
      };

      display_element.innerHTML = '';

      // next trial
      jsPsych.finishTrial(trialdata);
    });

    var startTime = performance.now();
      
    if (trial.trial_duration !== null) {
        jsPsych.pluginAPI.setTimeout(function() {
            display_element.querySelector('#jspsych-survey-html-form-next').requestSubmit();
        }, trial.trial_duration);
    }
  };
    
    
    

  /*!
   * Serialize all form data into an array
   * (c) 2018 Chris Ferdinandi, MIT License, https://gomakethings.com
   * @param  {Node}   form The form to serialize
   * @return {String}      The serialized form data
   */
  var serializeArray = function (form) {
    // Setup our serialized data
    var serialized = [];

    // Loop through each field in the form
    for (var i = 0; i < form.elements.length; i++) {
      var field = form.elements[i];

      // Don't serialize fields without a name, submits, buttons, file and reset inputs, and disabled fields
      if (!field.name || field.disabled || field.type === 'file' || field.type === 'reset' || field.type === 'submit' || field.type === 'button') continue;

      // If a multi-select, get all selections
      if (field.type === 'select-multiple') {
        for (var n = 0; n < field.options.length; n++) {
          if (!field.options[n].selected) continue;
          serialized.push({
            name: field.name,
            value: field.options[n].value
          });
        }
      }

      // Convert field data to a query string
      else if ((field.type !== 'checkbox' && field.type !== 'radio') || field.checked) {
        serialized.push({
          name: field.name,
          value: field.value
        });
      }
    }

    return serialized;
  };

  // from https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1184624/convert-form-data-to-javascript-object-with-jquery
  function objectifyForm(formArray) {//serialize data function
    var returnArray = {};
    for (var i = 0; i < formArray.length; i++){
      returnArray[formArray[i]['name']] = formArray[i]['value'];
    }
    return returnArray;
  }

  return plugin;
})();

[jodeleeuw]

Hi @nrschoen ,

I'm not 100% sure about this, but I think the requestSubmit() function would need to be called on the <form> element and not the <button>.

[becky-gilbert]

Hi @nrschoen, your cognition.run experiment is working for me without any errors. I'm seeing a bunch of trials consisting of images and forms with text input boxes, and each trial is ending automatically after a short delay. I'm using Windows Chrome Version 91.0.4472.77. If you let me know your OS and browser, I can try to replicate the problem.

[nrschoen]

Yes indeed, I tried making an end_trial() function as implemented similarly in other plugins. With that technique I managed to get the trial to end however I could not save the data properly using var question_data = serializeArray(this);, since (this) doesn't exist in the context. I am now trying to get the requestSubmit() function to work again without success :(

[nrschoen]

Okay I finally managed to get it to work using display_element.querySelector('#jspsych-survey-html-form-next').click();. However, now the timer seems to be inaccurate. For instance if I manually click the submit button it doesn't restart the timer. Any ideas how I can make sure the timer restarts each trial no matter how the last trial was submitted?

Cheers!

[nrschoen]

Okay figured it out: jsPsych.pluginAPI.clearAllTimeouts();

[becky-gilbert]

Glad you figured it out, and thanks for the update!

[nrschoen]

display_element.querySelector('#jspsych-survey-html-form-next').click();