How to Use ODK Briefcase: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

How to Use ODK Briefcase: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

What ODK Briefcase does

• Purpose: Pulls form submissions from devices or servers, stores them locally, and exports them to CSV/JSON/ZIP for analysis or backup.
• When to use: Offline data transfer, local backups, exporting for analysis, or preparing submissions for other tools.

Prerequisites

• Java installed (OpenJDK 11+ recommended).
• ODK Briefcase download for your OS (extract the ZIP if needed).
• A filled XForm instance set (on device SD cards, phone storage, or an ODK Aggregate/ODK Central server).
• Basic familiarity with file system paths and command line (optional; GUI available).

Start Briefcase

1. Run:
   • On Windows: double-click Briefcase.jar or run java -jar briefcase.jar from the folder.
   • On macOS/Linux: java -jar briefcase.jar in Terminal from the extracted folder.
2. Choose the interface language when prompted.

Pull submissions (from device or storage)

1. Click the “Pull” tab.
2. Select source:
   • From Device/Storage: Point to the device mount path or extracted folder containing instances (look for instances with subfolders named by form).
   • From Aggregate/Central: Enter server URL, username, password, and form ID; use “Sync with server” if available.
3. Select one or more forms and click “Pull”.