Installing and Using the QESTField app
Applies to QESTField Forms, QESTField Tests
This article describes how a field user can install and start using the QESTField app on a mobile device.
Contents
- 1 Overview
- 2 Installation
- 3 Logging In
- 4 Account Settings
- 5 Device Settings
- 5.1 Download/upload using Wi-Fi only
- 5.1.1 Please Note
- 5.2 Store forms for
- 5.2.1 Please Note
- 5.3 Developer Mode
- 5.3.1 Log to local file
- 5.3.2 Log to Seq
- 5.3.3 Disable Background Service
- 5.3.4 Please Note
- 5.1 Download/upload using Wi-Fi only
- 6 Help
- 7 Clearing App Data
- 8 QESTField Forms Specific Functionality
- 9 QR Codes
Overview
Field users will install and use the QESTField app on their mobile device so that they can access QESTField.
Installation
If there is a mobile device management system (MDM) in use to deploy the application, then the deployment and installation should not require any action from the end user. Otherwise, a manual installation will need to be undertaken per the below instructions.
Installing QESTField on Android Devices | Installing QESTField on iOS Devices |
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To install the QESTField app on an Android device.
| To install the QESTField app on an iOS device.
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Or use this QR code to go straight to the QESTField App on Google's Play Store and Install the app | Or use this QR code to go straight to the QESTField App on Apple's App Store and Get the app |
The QESTField app will be downloaded onto the device and be ready to open. | The QESTField app will be downloaded onto the device and be ready to open. |
Logging In
A field user will be presented with the login page when first launching the app, after logging out or after their login has been revoked.
The URL for the company's QEST Web API instance will need to be provided to the field user so that it can be entered on this initial page. This will allow the app to connect to QESTField.
The address will be validated as it is typed in.
If there is currently no internet connection available, the status message will say "Internet disconnected"
If an address is entered that cannot be reached, the status message will say "Endpoint unavailable"
The user can click “Retry” to retry the connection if a valid URL has been entered
If an address is entered that appears to be malformed (i.e. contains invalid characters, or doesn't look like a URL), the status message will say "Invalid URL"
If a valid URL is entered, the status message will say "Ready"
The user should click the “Connect” button to proceed to entering their credentials. The next page to be displayed will depend on the configuration of the QEST Platform instance being used. Once a user has logged in to the app, they will be remembered. It is not necessary to log in and log out of the app each time it is used.
Microsoft Entra ID Login
If the QEST Platform has been configured to use Microsoft Entra ID for authentication, the user will be presented with a page containing a Microsoft login challenge. This challenge is completed differently depending on the policies in use at the user’s organization and should function as described in Logging In | Microsoft Entra ID Login.
QEST Platform Username & password
If the QEST Platform has not been configured to use Microsoft Entra ID for authentication, the the user will be presented with a page to enter their QEST Platform username and password. This page will function as described in Logging In | QEST Platform Login.
Account Settings
To open account settings, first open the menu, then tap the person icon in the top card which displays the name and username of the logged in user.
Change password
This action is only applicable if the QEST Platform has not been configured to use Microsoft Entra ID for authentication.
Upon changing a password, the same user using other QEST products such as QESTLab will not be logged out, however will have to use the new password next time that they log in.
See User Password Requirements for password requirements.
Strong Password Requirements
These requirements apply when the Strong Password Requirements system-level option is set to True. This option is controlled by system administrators. Spectra QEST strongly recommends that this option is used.
To change a password:
Enter the old password
Enter a new password
Enter the new password again
Press the CHANGE PASSWORD button
Logging out
To log out press down on the LOGOUT button. This is usually only necessary if there are multiple users sharing the same device.
Device Settings
To open device settings, first open the menu, then select Settings.
Download/upload using Wi-Fi only
When enabled, forms will only be downloaded onto the device when a Wi-Fi connection is available. This is mostly useful when concerned about bandwidth usage on a device's mobile data plan i.e. forms will not be downloaded or uploaded from the device when only mobile data is available.
Please Note
This setting is applicable only for users of QESTField Forms.
Store forms for
Forms are stored on the mobile device for the given number of days before they are removed from the device to free up space. Forms are only removed once any local changes have been synced to the server. The default setting is 30 days. It is not recommended to choose a long span such as "365 days" or "Forever" if forms are being heavily used. A large amount of space will be taken up on the mobile device and the Forms list will take longer to load.
The number of days is determined based on the work date of the assigned work order or the last time the form was requested from the Work Orders page via Create/Edit Form.
Please Note
This setting is applicable only for users of QESTField Forms.
Developer Mode
Under normal circumstances, Developer Mode should be turned off. It is intended for troubleshooting purposes. Additional status information will be shown on some pages and logging from the app can be setup.
The logging options on the Settings page will not be visible until Developer Mode is enabled.
Log to local file
When this option is enabled, logs will be written to the file system on the device. These logs can then be accessed either by file explorer apps, or by tethering the device to a machine which has the appropriate tools to browse the device file system.
One file will be logged per day, to the following location, depending on device:
Platform | Location |
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Android | /sdcard/Documents/logs/qestfield_log_yyyymmdd.txt. |
iOS | /Documents/logs/qestfield_log_yyyymmdd.txt |
Log to Seq
When this option is enabled, logs will be written to a Seq server over HTTP. As this may result in the device making a lot of HTTP calls, this is only recommended if the device is connected to the same local network as the Seq server.
The address of the Seq logging server can be entered - usually Seq servers listen on port 5341.
Disable Background Service
This troubleshooting option allows users to turn off the background service used to synchronize forms. This will force users to have to manually synchronize forms from the Forms page in the app.
Please Note
This setting is applicable only for users of QESTField Forms.
Help
To open help pages, first open the menu, then select Help.
Clearing App Data
Clearing Data on Android
Like all Android apps, all local data for the app can be deleted, which will restore the app to its original state.
From the Android menu (i.e. not within the QESTField app), go to Settings → Apps → QESTField → Storage → Clear Data.
This will:
Delete all forms downloaded to the device
Clear login credentials (i.e. the app will need to be logged into again)
Any forms that have local changes but have not yet been synced to the server will be deleted.
Clearing Data on iOS
To restore the app to its original state on iOS devices, the app must be uninstalled and re-installed.
QESTField Forms Specific Functionality
This section explains specific requirements that only applies to organisations that will be using QESTField Forms.
PDF Viewer Installation
Android PDF Editors
A third-party PDF editing app is required to be installed on the mobile device for filling out forms. Some apps will have a better workflow with the QESTField app than others. Certain PDF editors may not work correctly with the QESTField app based on how they save PDFs.
The following PDF editors are recommended (please note that the features list is not exhaustive):
Editor | Recommended |
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Price | Contact XODO Sales or the Spectra QEST Sales team Spectra QEST Customers are provided special pricing and licensing terms from XODO. To receive this pricing the Product Information field on the order form should indicate that the order is for a Spectra QEST customer. |
Pros |
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Cons |
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iOS PDF Editors
A third-party PDF editing app is required to be installed on the mobile device for filling out forms. Some apps will have a better workflow with the QESTField app than others. Certain PDF editors may not work correctly with the QESTField app based on how they save PDFs.
The following PDF editors are recommended (please note that the features list is not exhaustive):
Editor | Recommended |
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Pros |
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Cons |
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Enabling JavaScript in Third Party Editors
Some forms will contain calculations or other functionality reliant on JavaScript being enabled in the third party editor. JavaScript must often be enabled in editors in order to make use of this more advanced functionality. The ability to enable JavaScript is usually located in the Settings of the third party PDF editor app.
An example of an option to enable JavaScript is shown from the settings page of Xodo below as an example.
Working Offline
If the mobile device loses internet connection then this will be identified in the application on the following pages:
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Forms are still editable when there is no connection to the internet. If the user is currently logged into the Forms application and internet connection is lost, forms can still be filled out through the Forms page. However, certain processes and actions are not available when internet connection is lost. These actions will be grayed out or hidden until an internet connection is restored.
The Work Orders & Tests page and functionality cannot be accessed
Forms cannot be synchronized with the server
Forms cannot be signed or unsigned
Forms cannot be published
Forms cannot have their fields refreshed, distribution changed or be deleted
Note if the user logs out of the application (or is already logged out) when the mobile device loses internet connection then it is not possible to log back into the application until internet connection is restored.
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