Output, Data files via Pavlovia, Database option - How does this all work type questions

Online experiments
1

Hi everyone.

OK – I have the basic condition of my experiment working and would like to now start testing it and looking at the final output I get from Pavlovia. I do not have any Pavlovia credits as yet – will get some soon. Currently in ‘Pilot’ mode.

Experiment is here: Pavlovia

I have a whole bunch of questions around kind of ‘how things work’ in terms of Data files / output etc… that doesn’t seem to be covered in any of the documentation.

  1. On my experiment page, there is a panel labelled ‘sessions’ which reports completed experiments. What does this count (completed/aborted etc…) consist of? Does this count include the number of datafiles present in my experiment (data folder) when I upload the experiment? Or is it only the results of people who have completed/piloted the experiment on Pavlovia?
  2. What is the difference between having ‘csv / database’ selected in ‘Format’ panel? So far, even with ‘Database’ selected, when I download results I seem to only get a number of .csv files. (tbh – this is ok – I can read these - and am worried that the DB output will be some file format I don’t know what to do with). But I would really like to know how this whole aspect of Pavlovia works.
  3. What is the intended process / workflow of downloading results when using the ‘database’ option?
  4. What is the json file? I have once or two while playing around downloaded a json file – which I am unsure of how to open or what to do with – but this is not a Database file of the results is it? Quickly scanning it with an obscure app seems to look like a copy of the experiment itself? How and when is this generated and what should I use it for?

At the moment – I have deleted all the files in my local ‘data’ folder – that were previously generated by testing locally. I have now synced the experiment – but still see that the ‘completed’ count is at 7. BUT… when I try to use the ‘Download results’ button – I get a zip file of zero bytes. Hence my confusion in terms of point 2 above.

Finally - In relation to the 7 experiments that are listed as being completed - can I delete these data files? I have been slowly changing and re-uploading this experiment and running it to test - now that I am ready to go with real Ps - how can I blow away all previous data files.

Any documentation on how this whole aspect of psychopy/pavlovia hangs together or some general guidance would be super helpful. Thanks.

D.