I.2

Load the definition, variables and previous answers

You need this: When the form depends on who is answering, or edits an existing record.

Three things can come from your server, each optional. The definition, rendered into the page as-is or with per-request changes, or fetched. Variables: application data the form reads in titles and conditions but never saves (the signed-in user, their plan, their locale). Previous answers: the stored response, so the form edits a record instead of starting blank.

This step on the Server Integration page Source on GitHub

Try this

Option A (/claim): the title says "Hi there" and Requests shows no definition request. The server rendered it into the page.
Option B (this page): one GET /api/forms/claim-request?record= returns the definition, variables and previous answers.
In Option B, switch the demo user: {user.name} in the title changes, and "use priority handling?" appears only for Alice's premium plan.
Pick a record below: the form opens pre-filled and edits that claim instead of starting blank.
Press Complete: the stored panel shows the answers and no variables.

Option A: rendered into the page B: fetched

Code that just ran

These regions are read from the files that served this page, the same lines the Server Integration page shows.

Client · shared/client/load-definition-variables-data.js · sjs:I.2.client View on GitHub

import { Model } from "survey-core";

async function createSurvey(recordId) {
  if (window.FORM_DEFINITION) {
    // Option A — your server rendered the definition into the page
    return new Model(window.FORM_DEFINITION);
  }
  // Option B — one request returns the definition, variables and previous answers
  const { definition, variables, data } =
    await fetch(`/api/forms/claim-request?record=${recordId}`).then(r => r.json());
  const survey = new Model(definition);
  survey.setVariables(variables);   // all at once; read as {user.name}, {plan}… and never saved with the response
  survey.data = data;               // previous answers: edit instead of starting blank
  return survey;
}

Server · routes/examples/load-definition-variables-data.php · sjs:I.2.server View on GitHub

// Option A — render the definition into the page: no database, no extra request
Route::get('/claim', function () {
    $definition = json_decode(file_get_contents(base_path('shared/definitions/load-definition-variables-data.json')));
    $definition->title = 'Hi '.Str::before(Auth::user()->name ?? 'there', ' ');   // change it per request if you like

    return view('examples.load-definition-variables-data', ['definition' => $definition]);   // Js::from() escapes it for an inline script
});

// Option B — definition, variables and previous answers in one response
Route::get('/api/forms/{id}', function (Request $request, string $id) {
    $user = Auth::user();
    $definition = DB::table('forms')->where('key', $id)->value('json') ?? abort(404, 'Unknown form');
    $data = $request->filled('record') ? DB::table('responses')->where('id', $request->query('record'))->value('data') : null;

    return response()->json([
        'definition' => json_decode($definition),                                // a stored document, as stored
        'variables' => ['user' => ['name' => $user?->name, 'plan' => $user?->plan]],
        'data' => $data === null ? new stdClass : json_decode($data),           // previous answers, or {}
    ], options: JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE | JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_PRESERVE_ZERO_FRACTION);
});

Definition: shared/definitions/load-definition-variables-data.json