====== value() ======

''mixed **value**(string //variable//, [string //outputformat//])''

The participant's responses (answer codes, selected options or text inputs) can be determined with this function. 

**Note:** Only responses given by the participant on an __earlier__ page in the questionnaire, and already transmitted to the server with "Next" can be called up. 

  * //variable//\\ ID of the variable to be read. The correct ID can always be found in the **Variables Overview**. 
    * The variable ID is usually (not always) composed of section, question and, if applicable, item ID and must be given as a string (in quotation marks) (e.g. '''XY01_02'''). 
    * Besides the variables of questions, the following variables are also available: CASE, MISSING, SERIAL, REF, QUESTNNR, MODE, LANGUAGE and STARTED
  * //outputformat//\\ The output format determines whether the function returns the answer code (default) or the label text of the response. The following entries are allowed:
    * ''%%'code'%%''\\ Default format for ''value()'': answer code according to the **Variables Overview** (also returned if no answer format is specified), for text input questions this is the text entered. 
    * ''%%'code:ifany'%%''\\ Like ''%%'code'%%'', but suppresses the warning (which isn't visible to respondents anyway) if the variable doesn't have an answer yet present.
    * ''%%'label'%%''\\ Answer code label (selection questions: option, multiple-choice selection: "not selected" or "selected", scales: value label). 
    * ''%%'text'%%''\\ Answer option label as in questionnaire (selection question: selected option, multiple-choice selection: option text if selected, nothing else). 
    * ''%%'free'%%''\\ If you allow a selection with a free text input field, this option displays the text of the selected option __or__ the free text input, if one of these was done. 
    * ''%%'csv'%%''\\ Divides the label by commas (CSV) and returns an array.  This can be used in combination with a random number generator for multi-factorial experimental designs ([[:en:create:randomization]]).

**Note:** The ''value()'' function can also read the draw of a [[:en:create:questions:random|random generator]]. This is already possible on the same page on which the random generator was placed, provided the PHP code is below the random generator.

**Note:** The retention time (“TIME001”, “TIME002”, ...) cannot be read out using ''value()''. Please use the function [[:en:create:functions:casetime]] for this.

===== Application in Filters  =====

**Tip:** Please also see [[:en:create:filters|Filters and Conditional Questions]] and [[:en:create:transfer-responses]].

The respondent answered question ''07'' in section ''AB'' (a dichotomous scale) on the previous page. The following code only calls up question ''XY01'' if the participant answered "yes" (in this example with the value 2) to the item ''03'' in question ''AB07'':

<code php>
if (value('AB07_03') == 2) {
  question('XY01');
}
</code>


===== Display Individual Response =====

The participant can select their favorite school subject or write it in themselves in "other:". The subject should be displayed on a later page. 


**Tip:** Please also see [[:en:create:placeholders|Placeholders]].

<code php>
$subject = value('AB08', 'free');
html('<h1>School subject: '.$subject.'</h1>');
</code>