It must be an option … same issue with Permission.

It must be different if you import on same instance or different one (group are not the same)

Then : when copy : we can copy Permission + Group
When import : unsure …

It must be different if you import on same instance or different one (group are not the same)

Hm yes, you can't uniquely identify a survey group between installations. So does it make sense to "guess" a survey group?

Hm yes, you can't uniquely identify a survey group between installations. So does it make sense to "guess" a survey group?

By name by option when import ? Same for Permission ?

@ollehar: I assume that at 90% of the cases you jst copy (or export/import) within the same system so checking for matchting IDs and similar names should be sufficient.
If needed add a setting to exclude group assignment on import/copy.

Maybe also show a short note "Survey assigned to survey group XYZ." after copy.

@ollehar: I assume that at 90% of the cases you jst copy (or export/import) within the same system so checking for matchting IDs and similar names should be sufficient.

When you copy : it must be the case (like Permission in 3.X cuirrently).
Export import is different.

I guess the same happens in many other situations:

• User Group Permissions
• UserName Permissions
• SurveyThemes

Matching by name is fine I guess.
If not found, we can rise a warning.

User Group Permissions

This didn't exist …

UserName Permissions

Yes : already written "same issue with Permission"

SurveyThemes

Oh yes : theme have number in export … but seems they use name : with core and extended.
But less issue here i think

I mean, there are other places where the linking by name is done for importing.
We should do this here as well.

Yes :)

But only Permission and SurveyGroup are not seen quickly and can have some «security» issue :).

For theme : it shown when you test ;)

@gabrieljenik or @DenisChenu, can you pick this up so we get it included into one of the following releases?

Master PR for Survey Groups: https://github.com/LimeSurvey/LimeSurvey/pull/2745

Created 18509 for handling permissions

I like to have a checkbox (unchecked by default)
OK ?

Why should such a new checkbox be unchecked by default? If the same survey group exists, it should get mapped.

E.g. user permissions are copied along as well on export/import, why should this behave differently?

I think a checkbox is not needed. I see no real use case at which assigning the survey to the same group will cause any issues. In any way, you can always adjust the assignment later if needed.

Why should such a new checkbox be unchecked by default? If the same survey group exists, it should get mapped.

If you use "restricted" name, and i use "restricted" name too on another instance.

If i put some secret survey inside with right to some people : i surely don't want to have this right auto assigned.
When export/import ; it's can be different instance with different way to manage. It must NOT be by default, else there are big potential confidential issue.

E.g. user permissions are copied along as well on export/import, why should this behave differently?

I don't think with import/export … see https://bugs.limesurvey.org/view.php?id=18509

I think a checkbox is not needed. I see no real use case at which assigning the survey to the same group will cause any issues. In any way, you can always adjust the assignment later if needed.

Survey group can give right to survey inside the group

• Export/import on same instance : no real issue
• Export/import on different instance : confidentiality issue

@Mazi : https://github.com/LimeSurvey/LimeSurvey/pull/2745#issuecomment-1327189281

@DenisChenu, I understand the issue you mentioned. But to me the mentioned scenario of having the exact same survey group name on different instances is a rather theoretical issue. Of course, it can lead to security issues if permissions are assigned as mentioned on Github, but we deal with >250 Limesurvey projects every year and I can not imagine having ever faced such a use case.

If it helps, we can add the checkbox, but the default behavior should be to always assign the survey to the survey group. Because that will be the use case for 99% of the users.

But to me the mentioned scenario of having the exact same survey group name on different instances is a rather theoretical issue.

What ???? I already seen it a lot of time !

I can not imagine having ever faced such a use case.

Your experience are not all reality …

Because that will be the use case for 99% of the users.

We don't have this feature since start and you are the 1st to ask … import/export != copy
If you need same : why not copy survey ?

Well, I am not against adding the checkbox. It makes sense when facing the scenario you mentioned. We should also add a warning as mentioned. But the default setting should fit the 90% of users which just want the survey to be assiged to the same survey group if exists.

"Why not copy?" -> Because customers often develop surveys at system A and then export the final version and import that at system B.

I can only speak of me, but me and my colleagues are facing this issue on a daily basis and keeping the survey group name on importing would save us a lot of time and avoid possible errors. As of now, we always need to edit the survey again after importing to set it to the desired survey group name, before we can continue. Having the optional checkbox to keep the survey group name on importing would be highly appreciated.

Having the optional checkbox to keep the survey group name on importing would be highly appreciated.

Totally right.

1. Having a checkbox is NEEDED

After the questoin is more by default or not.

After internal discussion here is the decision on the solution:

• Group is searched for by name by default (this is already done)
• Permissions are checked if user may use this group, at all. (tbd)
• If yes, survey is imported into that group, if not then the Default group is used.
• On the import summary screen user gets a clear hint that the survey was imported into survey group 'X'.

No checkbox on import is needed. Since the user has permission to modify the assignment to the survey group he can still change it, afterwards.

Updated PR!

Need to check survey/import not just see surveygroup

Updated requirements to include UUID check. It won't be 100% tight, but will reduce the risk considerably to assign wrong survey group by mistake.

Moved to feature request.

Added comment on PR.

@ollehar, did you move it to featrue requests since you feel it better fits there than at the bug reports?
Because if I get it right, we already have a (partial?) fix and that should be included in one of the next releases, correct?

Like Denis I have concerns about the security implications of automatically assigning survey groups.

One alternative would be to simply have a select box on the import page to choose which survey group to place the survey in, manually.

@ollehar, that's a nice option as well, as long as we pre-set a matching group we found.

I guess pre-selecting the matching group could be a global setting...? Unless it's getting too complicated. @DenisChenu Thoughts?

With a dropdown : idea :

• Automatic (Same name , else default)
• Default
• others

With Automatic mean : by name inside the lss (if exist) if not : Default.

?

I think we should not make it too complicated and add too many settings just for this minor detail.
The majority of the users (98%) just want the same group assigned if exists and for others if they can select "Default" or another group as an alternative, that covers everything.
You can easily change the group assignment afterwards as well.

The majority of the users (98%) just want the same group assigned

Non, no, and clearly no ! It's only your experience

When copying : yes, but say that is totally false. I have client who really don't need this when import (on the contrary) .
For example, the client thanks to which we have the system of advanced rights on the groups.

You can easily change the group assignment afterwards as well.

Same if we set to default like we do since years now …

Sooo, setting in config-defaults then? To control if it pre-selects the matching group or the default group? But then we have to argue about the default value in that setting too.

Another option is a check-box, "Always pre-select the survey group from the import file" on the import page, that's per-user.

I do not think that config-defaults is a good option because many users may not be able to adjust this and e.g. at some universities it is nearly impossible to persuade the IT team to make any changes.

Checkbox sounds good, especially if this is a user setting.

To control if it pre-selects the matching group or the default group?

If there are a dropdown : no issue, user must take care of it.

To control if it pre-selects the matching group or the default group?
Another option is a check-box, "Always pre-select the survey group from the import file" on the import page, that's per-user.

Both can be done by plugin, extension or theme after.

Just choose the default. I really we don't need a default update here.

Best is to have a default update on Export response (by user or by instance) for example.

So... @ollehar?
What are the directions then?

Checkbox on User Settings:

• When importing surveys, keep the survey group from the source file
  Help Text: Please recall, when importing, survey group permissions may be inhertied to the imported survey.
  Default to Unchecked.

Dropdown:

• Default
• Keep survey group from imported file
• SG1
• SG2
• ...
  To be filled according to list permission of survey groups
  To be preselected according to user setting

Like this?

@gabrieljenik What about having the checkbox on the import page instead of user settings?

Issue with checkbox in the import screen I believe is that most people will bypass it and use the default mostly.
That's why I like the idea of having a user setting. Although, we could be OK with out it too.

Consdering current situation, I believe we could be close to a suggestion from @Dennis and yourself.
Dropdown on import screen:

• Import on Default Survey group (always preselected)
• Keep the survey group from the source file
  Help Text: Please recall, when importing, survey group permissions may be inhertied to the imported survey.

If someone wants to use the source survey group, they would need to explicitly say so.
If we want to enhance the solution, we could add a list of available survey groups to the dropdown.

Thoughts?

I like the suggestion + having a user setting for the default behavior!
All available survey groups (LS5: the user has permissions for) should be listed and the pre-selected option should be based on the user setting.