1. Introduction to DSL Syntax & Structural Rules

What is Daesen DSL?#

Daesen DSL is the deterministic, structured markup standard used by the ingestion engine to convert Microsoft Word (.docx) or plaintext questionnaires into fully functional, interactive survey applications.

Survey Phases ([PRE-SCREENER], [SCREENER], [SURVEY])#

The 3 Canonical Survey Phases:#

Parsing & Phase Propagation Rules:#

1. 1Dedicated Line Declaration: Phase markers must be declared in square brackets on their own line (e.g. [PRE-SCREENER], [SCREENER], [SURVEY]). Space-separated variants such as [PRE SCREENER] or [PRESCREENER] are also supported.
2. 2Cascading Propagation: A phase marker assigns that phase to all subsequent questions until the parser encounters another phase marker.
3. 3Default Phase Fallback: If no phase marker is present in the document, the engine automatically defaults all questions to the survey phase (Global Survey).

[PRE-SCREENER]

S0. Do you consent to participate in this confidential market research study?
[SINGLE CODE]
Please select one option.

	1. Yes, I consent to proceed
	2. No, I decline [CLOSE]

[SCREENER]

S1. What is your primary medical specialty?
[SINGLE CODE]
Please select your specialty.

	1. Urology
	2. General Surgery
	3. Other specialty [SOFT TERM]

[SURVEY]

Q1. Thinking about your surgical procedures over the past month, how many cases did you perform?
[OPEN NUMERIC; 0-500; cases]

Anatomy of a Valid Question#

Every question requires 4 core parts without intermediate blank lines:

S1. What is the size of your organization?
[SINGLE CODE]
Please select one option.

	1. 1 - 10 employees
	2. 11 - 50 employees
	3. 51 - 250 employees
	4. 250+ employees

The 4 Foundational Parsing Rules:#

1. 1Question Identifier Header: Must begin on a new line with an uppercase letter (S for screener or Q for general questionnaire), followed by an integer and a period with a space (S1. , Q15. ).
2. 2Component Directive Tag: Declared in square brackets on its own line (e.g. [SINGLE CODE], [MULTICODE], [OPEN ENDED], [OPEN NUMERIC]).
3. 3Interface Instruction (Optional): Non-numbered line providing clear guidance to the respondent.
4. 4Enumerated Options with Tab Indentation (\t): Each answer choice must begin with a tab character (\t) or Word bullet indentation, followed by the integer and period (\t1. , \t2. ).

Question Separation#

To delineate consecutive questions, insert exactly one blank line between them:

S1. In which country do you currently reside?
[SINGLE CODE]
Please select one option.

	1. Germany
	2. Spain
	3. France
	4. Other [OPEN END]

S2. What is your primary job title within your company?
[OPEN ENDED]
Please specify your corporate position.