How to reference Fields in Forms and Cases

One of the easiest ways to confirm form and case field names is by looking at the column name in a regular form/case export from CommCareHQ.

In general, the name of form and case fields matches those that you wrote when you created your application, with predictable modifications. When referencing properties in the Source Field column, ensure that you've typed them in exactly as they're defined in CommCare - case-sensitivity matters.

• Top-Level Form Fields: A field named FIELD in a form is referenced by form.FIELD. For example, the field age is referenced by form.age in an Excel query file.

• Top-Level Case Fields: A field name FIELD in a case is referenced by properties.FIELD. For example, the field delivery_date is referenced by properties.delivery_date in an Excel query file.

• Nested Fields: A field nested more deeply within a form or case may be referenced by separating each level of nesting with a period. For example, in the demo_query_file_form.xlsx, you will see the nested field form.delivery_information.delivery_type, which will pull out the value of the delivery_type question inside the group delivery_information. This will always match the structure of your application.