One of the steps we like to take when evaluating a form is to count the number of variables it contains. This gives us one of the clues we use to determine the form's overall health and level of sophistication.

To get an accurate count, first Reset the form so that all the code types are visible, then put the cursor at the beginning of the form. Click on Word's Home>Find command and insert one leading curly bracket "{" in the search window. The result will show the total number of variables in the form.

To determine Lists, use "{LIST". For Conditions, "{IF". The difference between the sum of the Lists and Conditions and the total number will be the number of Fields.

While we've seen forms that have 50 or more variables per page, the average runs about ten.

To estimate the number of Questions in a Questionnaire, do a Word>Find search for "???." This will overestimate a bit, perhaps by 20% or so depending on the number of Series answers included. For an exact count, copy the entire Questionnaire and paste it into your favorite spreadsheet program. Subtract one for the program's Questionnaire header and one for each Divider. The result will be exact. We like to see efficient Questionnaires with a 1:3 ratio of Questions to variables, but sometimes a form just has to get close to 1:1.

tags: count, field, label, condition, lists, question, variable, complex, simple