Issues converting script from Inquisit 6 to Inquisit 7


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vb7
vb7
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Hello, 
I am adapting an existing script to make a slightly different task, and in the process change to Inquisit 7. The inquisit website claims that Inquisit 7 is backwards compatible, but this does not seem to be the case. In particular, I am getting many "Expression contains an invalid identifier" errors, and I can't find what is causing those errors. Attached is 1) a screenshot of the first set of error messages I am receiving, and 2) the script I am editing.
Thank you.

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errors.png (3 views, 152.00 KB)
RL_task_behavonly.iqx (4 views, 45.00 KB)
Dave
Dave
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vb7 - 12/10/2025
Hello, 
I am adapting an existing script to make a slightly different task, and in the process change to Inquisit 7. The inquisit website claims that Inquisit 7 is backwards compatible, but this does not seem to be the case. In particular, I am getting many "Expression contains an invalid identifier" errors, and I can't find what is causing those errors. Attached is 1) a screenshot of the first set of error messages I am receiving, and 2) the script I am editing.
Thank you.

Inquisit 7 can run legacy IQX files. The problem with the file you attached has nothing to do with Inquisit 7, the same errors are thrown under Inquisit 6. You have parser-breaking mistakes in the script, which cause the parser to effectively not see and be unable to parse elements below a certain point in the script. Because the parser cannot find all the elements that follow, it throws errors regarding them.

There are also various syntax mistakes (e.g. using square brackets where parentheses ought to be used) and elements that are simply missing / not at all defined in the script.

Attached is a fixed up version, that should at least properly parse the things that are actually there.
Attachments
RL_task_behavonly.fixed.iqx (2 views, 45.00 KB)
vb7
vb7
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Dave - 12/11/2025
vb7 - 12/10/2025
Hello, 
I am adapting an existing script to make a slightly different task, and in the process change to Inquisit 7. The inquisit website claims that Inquisit 7 is backwards compatible, but this does not seem to be the case. In particular, I am getting many "Expression contains an invalid identifier" errors, and I can't find what is causing those errors. Attached is 1) a screenshot of the first set of error messages I am receiving, and 2) the script I am editing.
Thank you.

Inquisit 7 can run legacy IQX files. The problem with the file you attached has nothing to do with Inquisit 7, the same errors are thrown under Inquisit 6. You have parser-breaking mistakes in the script, which cause the parser to effectively not see and be unable to parse elements below a certain point in the script. Because the parser cannot find all the elements that follow, it throws errors regarding them.

There are also various syntax mistakes (e.g. using square brackets where parentheses ought to be used) and elements that are simply missing / not at all defined in the script.

Attached is a fixed up version, that should at least properly parse the things that are actually there.

Thank you! That does indeed work.

Do you have any tips for how to determine where the parser is breaking? I see that I had introduced a formatting error with the trialList list, but even with that fixed the errors are still thrown. I am assuming this is from commenting out some parts of some trials and not others while editing the script - but would it be best to just go through the script rather than relying on the errors then? For example, it's not clear how the commented out code is causing the first error ("'values.selectedstim' Expression contains an invalid identifier." for element "trial.choiceFramePracticeFull" and attribute "ontrialbegin"). 
Dave
Dave
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Group: Administrators
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vb7 - 12/11/2025
Dave - 12/11/2025
vb7 - 12/10/2025
Hello, 
I am adapting an existing script to make a slightly different task, and in the process change to Inquisit 7. The inquisit website claims that Inquisit 7 is backwards compatible, but this does not seem to be the case. In particular, I am getting many "Expression contains an invalid identifier" errors, and I can't find what is causing those errors. Attached is 1) a screenshot of the first set of error messages I am receiving, and 2) the script I am editing.
Thank you.

Inquisit 7 can run legacy IQX files. The problem with the file you attached has nothing to do with Inquisit 7, the same errors are thrown under Inquisit 6. You have parser-breaking mistakes in the script, which cause the parser to effectively not see and be unable to parse elements below a certain point in the script. Because the parser cannot find all the elements that follow, it throws errors regarding them.

There are also various syntax mistakes (e.g. using square brackets where parentheses ought to be used) and elements that are simply missing / not at all defined in the script.

Attached is a fixed up version, that should at least properly parse the things that are actually there.

Thank you! That does indeed work.

Do you have any tips for how to determine where the parser is breaking? I see that I had introduced a formatting error with the trialList list, but even with that fixed the errors are still thrown. I am assuming this is from commenting out some parts of some trials and not others while editing the script - but would it be best to just go through the script rather than relying on the errors then? For example, it's not clear how the commented out code is causing the first error ("'values.selectedstim' Expression contains an invalid identifier." for element "trial.choiceFramePracticeFull" and attribute "ontrialbegin"). 

There is no super easy way to trace such problems. What works reasonably well is:
Going through the list of errors, find the first element -- in terms of line # in the script -- for which an error is thrown, although the element is present. The parser-breaking problem should be above that line of code in the script, usually very near it
GO

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