Randomize Choices Within Categories (with Fixed Positions)

[andrewtelnov]

Marketing research requires randomizing answer choices within each category while keeping choices from the same category grouped together. Additionally, certain choices must remain at fixed positions (excluded from randomization). The system should:

Randomize only the non-fixed choices within each category.
Preserve category grouping in the final presentation.
Honor specified fixed-index items that stay at their assigned positions.
The additional functionality should be visible in the Creator only when randomize order is used.

Content (expanded):
This feature is requested by marketing research teams to avoid order bias while preserving logical grouping of options. Implementation requirements:

Treat each category as an independent block; choices are shuffled only among items in the same category.
Allow marking specific choices as “fixed” so they remain at a specified index (e.g., first, last, or a given position) and are not included in the shuffle.
Ensure the final output preserves category grouping and the relative positions of fixed items, with all other choices randomized around them.