Feature Request: Separate Question Type and Question Theme Management

Summary

Question Type and Question Theme represent two different concepts and should therefore be managed independently within the LimeSurvey user interface.

Currently, the Question Theme is selected as part of the question type selection process. In addition, it is not possible to change the assigned Question Theme after a survey has been activated. This creates unnecessary restrictions and does not reflect the underlying data model.

Background

LimeSurvey already stores these properties separately:

• questions.type defines the question type and its underlying data structure.
• questions.question_theme_name defines the assigned Question Theme.

This separation in the database indicates that Question Type and Question Theme are distinct entities with different responsibilities:

• Question Type determines behavior, answer structure, validation logic, and data storage.
• Question Theme determines presentation, layout, and user experience.

Because these concerns are different, they should also be managed independently in the user interface.

Proposed Changes

1. Separate Question Type and Question Theme Assignment

Instead of selecting a Question Theme during question type selection, users should be able to:

1. Select the Question Type.
2. Independently select or change the Question Theme in a dedicated setting.

This would provide a clearer and more intuitive workflow and better reflect the underlying architecture.

2. Allow Changing the Question Theme After Survey Activation

Users should be able to change the assigned Question Theme for a question even after the survey has been activated, provided that the selected theme is compatible with the current question type.

Changing the Question Theme typically affects only the presentation layer and does not modify:

• the question type,
• the answer structure,
• the stored response data,
• ExpressionScript logic,
• SGQA identifiers,
• database schema.

Therefore, preventing all theme changes after activation appears unnecessarily restrictive.

Benefits

• Better separation of concerns between functionality and presentation.
• User interface that reflects the existing data model.
• Greater flexibility when improving survey design after activation.
• Easier experimentation with different visual representations.
• Reduced need for workarounds or direct database modifications.

Compatibility Considerations

To ensure safety, LimeSurvey could restrict post-activation theme changes to themes that are explicitly compatible with the current question type.

If a theme requires attributes or structures that are incompatible with the existing question configuration, LimeSurvey could display a warning or prevent the change.

Conclusion

Question Types and Question Themes are already modeled as separate concepts in LimeSurvey. Allowing independent management of both, including post-activation changes of compatible Question Themes, would improve usability, flexibility, and consistency with the underlying architecture.