Alternative way - adding layout objects first

You can add the interactive objects first without having created the corresponding data nodes in the Data template tree.

To add an interactive object

Right-click in a Story or on a page where you want to add the interactive object and select Insert > Interactive objects and select the type.

This will create an item in the Data template tree that you can view and edit in the Data template panel. For multiple choice interactive layout objects, a group_input node is created, and for single value (e.g. checkboxes) or text fields, a plain_input node is created. You can edit the properties for these nodes in the properties panel within the Data template panel.

 

The layout object is linked to the Data item via XPath. If you rename items in the Data template, or restructure the items, you must edit the corresponding XPath of the layout objects (Data link property).

You can specify in the Options dialog that you always can select directly which Data template node the layout object should link to when you add the layout object by inserting it from the Insert menu or by right-clicking in the views. Select Tools > Options > Defaults > Interactive > Browse for data node when creating interactive item from menu. Instead of selecting an existing node, you can type in a new name for the node in the Data XPath field which will create a new node in the Data template structure.