| 摘要 |
The present invention provides a survey tool for use with an electronic mail (email) system implemented in a computer network having a plurality of nodes interconnecting a corresponding plurality of computers. In the preferred embodiment, the survey tool includes three modules; a builder module for composing a survey, an answer module for responding to the survey, and a collector module for generating survey results. The builder module provides a graphical interface for generating a graphical survey. The survey is then encoded in a survey description language (SDL). Next, the builder module attaches the SDL encoded survey to a survey email together with the email headers, and transmits the survey email to one or more targeted users via the computer network. The targeted user retrieves the survey email and attempts to invoke the answer module. If a copy of the answer module cannot be located at the receiving computer, a copy of the answer module can be transferred from a remote location via the computer network. Upon execution of the answer module, graphical prompts are generated for the targeted user. In turn, the targeted user provides appropriate survey response which are recorded by the answer module. The survey response is then encoded into a survey result language (SRL), attached to an answer email and transmitted to a survey cache of the computer network. Finally, the collector module accesses the survey cache and retrieve the SRL survey response(s). The SRL encoded survey responses are decoded, interpreted and tabulated. Appropriate graphical displays and/or reports can then be generated. <IMAGE> |
