Orphaned variables
A home for all your unresolved variable dependencies.
There are cases where an answer will no longer be collected within a flow, but it still has dependencies. For instance, you might delete a date question that collects a user's date of birth, however there is a calculated variable function that requires that date input to calculate an age.
In this case, the date answer will remain in the flow as an orphaned answer.
Generally, you don't want to have orphaned answers. We're working to make it harder and harder to generate them within flows.
If you're having a hard time with this, chat us and we'll help you clean them up in your flow.
Resolving orphaned answers
There are three solutions to resolving orphaned answers: Re-use the variable name, add a compatible question, or delete the variable.
Re-use existing variable?
Add a new question that collects the same answer type and writes to the same answer key. Re-associate it with the orphan by giving it the same name, and choosing Re-use existing variable? when prompted.
Add compatible question
Choose Add compatible question within the schema tab to create a question that will collect an answer of the same type. This question will automatically be added to the Flow content.
Note that you may want to modify this auto-generated question to make more sense for the responder.
In either case, be sure to double check output of any variables that depend on this answer!
Deleting orphaned variables
In order to delete an orphaned variable, you must remove it from any dependencies or "uses" it may have.
Using the example at the top of this section, the date question that collects a dob would need to be removed as an input to the calculated variable that outputs an age.
Once you see that uses are at 0, you will have the option to delete the variable.
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