Updating PDP Errors and Warnings (4.5 minutes)
Learn to address the common PDP file errors and warnings.
Errors & Warnings Covered
- Field Not Defined
- Invalid Zip Code
- Record Does Not Contain the Correct Number of Fields
- Invalid CIP Code
- Invalid Record Type
Resource
Video Transcript
[Nick]: In this episode of Behind the PDP submission, we're tackling common errors in PDP file submissions. If you want to skip to a specific error, use the timestamps. Ready to dive in?
[Computer monitor with cohort course v1 error-warning list file opened in Excel. There's a total of seven rows with columns File Name, Updated Date Time, File Type, Error Name, Error Category, Error Attribute, Error Description, Error Resolution, Error Count, Line Number, Academic Year, Institution ID.]
[Vijaya]: Absolutely. At this point, the files from Hometown University have been uploaded into the PDP data intake platform and we've downloaded the errors and warnings file.
[Nick]: Can you do a quick overview of the file?
[Vijaya]: Of course. To help identify the file, there's the file name, file upload date, and the file type, course, cohort, or financial aid. Then there's the information on the error or warning, including the name, the error attribute, otherwise known as the data field like street line one, the description, how to resolve it, the number of times it occurs, and where it occurs. And even though one error on one line is listed, there could be multiple issues for that row.
[The column row and row 2 are highlighted for the following columns: file name: i_OPEIDpdp_cohor_file_V2.csv; error name: Field not defined; Error description: The provided values "COUNTRY, HS COMPLETION STATUS, FIRST GEN, Transfer Credits Accepted" is/are present in the file but not defined in the PDP knowledge base. Please compare the header row in your file to the column header requirements and make the necessary corrections; Error count 1; Line number 2.]
[Nick]: Thanks. Now, let's go through some errors. First up, there's a field not defined error in the cohort file. What does that mean?
[Vijaya]: This means the field is not what was expected by the system based on the formatting guidelines laid out in the knowledge base.
[Screen switches to have the example course file open in Notepad or Notepad++. There are 6 lines of text. In line 2, COUNTRY, HS COMPLETION STATUS, FIRST GEN, Transfer Credits Accepted are highlighted in orange. The Excel file behind it showing the Error Description, Error Resolution, Error Count, Line Number, Academic Year and Institution ID columns.]
In our example file, there are multiple errors in row two, the column header row. Headers are case-sensitive and must match exactly. Country, completion status, and first gen are in all caps, and transfer credits accepted is labeled incorrectly.
[Line 2 in the example course file is updated to Country, HS Completion Status, First Gen, Number of College Transcript Credits Accepted. An alert appears stating that labels must match what's in the data file templates exactly with a screenshot of the Data File Templates page of the Postsecondary Data Partnership knowledge base.]
The fix? Update the labels to match what's in the knowledge base and remove extra spaces or dashes.
[Nick]: So, attention to detail really matters here.
[In the background Excel file row 3 is selected: Zip code is invalid. Zip code must be alphanumeric and may include spaces. Error Count 1. Line 3.
In the course example file, line 3's zip code 20171 0000 is highlighted in orange. The text changes to 20171-0000.]
Let's move on. There's invalid zip codes for two students across the cohort, course, and financial aid files.
[Vijaya]: Zip codes must be alpha numeric and may include hyphens. If you're reporting an international zip code with spaces, replace those spaces with hyphens.
[Nick]: Simple enough.
[In the Excel file, row 4 is highlighted. Record does not contain the correct number of records. Error count 1. Line 5. In the course example file, There are 6 lines listed, but line 5 is blank and is highlighted in orange.]
Next, record does not contain the correct number of fields. Sounds tricky.
[Vijaya]: It's usually a formatting issue. Check that the identified rows have the right number of columns and commas. If they do, check for wrapping text or line breaks and remove them. For trailer records, confirm the second field equals the total row count. In the file, the count is correct. Let's scan through the file for anything that might be off. There's a blank row.
[Line 5 is removed.]
Let's delete it and that error should be resolved.
[Nick]: Got it. So, it's all about matching the expected structure.
[In the Excel file, the next row is highlighted. Invalid CIP code provided. The provided value "65.3215" is not a valid Course CIP. Please provide a valid Course CIP and try again.
An additional student detail row was added with information populated.
The course CIPs are highlighted on row 3 and 5.]
Second to last one in this file is an invalid CIP code in row three and five of the course file.
[IPEDS CIP search page located at nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode. In the QUICK CIP field 65.3215 is entered and the go button is highlighted.]
[Vijaya]: To verify the CIP codes, search the National Center for Education Statistics website. There's a link in the formatting the course file detail records knowledge base article.
[Message: CIP not found. Please try again. Returns to the main IPEDS search code page where the search is highlighted in orange. Field to enter in terms with clear and search buttons. Search within title, definition and examples is checked. 2-digit series is set to All. All three options for CIP types are checked and all actions are checked.]
Since the CIP code is not found, let's search for the code using the course name.
[Returns to the course example file. The two highlighted CIP code fields change to missing.]
If you are unable to find the CIP code, use the allowed value of missing.
[Nick]: Great tip.
[In the Excel file, the last two rows are highlighted. Header record type is invalid. Header record type must be as described in the file formatting submission guide. Please compare the header row in your file to the header requirements in the guide and make the necessary corrections. Resubmit your file. 1 error count and in line 1.
Column header record type is invalid. Header record type must be as described in the file formatting submission guide. Please compare the header row in your file to the header requirements in the guide and make the necessary corrections. Resubmit your file. 2 error count. Line 1.
PDP Course example file has changed and it appears to have tab spacing between the fields. No commas are present in the file.]
Let's tackle the last one, invalid record type in the first two rows.
[Vijaya]: There's a few things to check. If the system detects an invalid header record type, it will not attempt to read the remaining data in the file. The first field must be the header record type. DCE01 for cohort, DCE02 for course, DCE03 for financial aid. If the system can't detect a comma delimiter, you may have used tab delimited instead of comma delimited.
[Blue lower third: Change to comma delimited. Ctrl + H on your keyboard, ensure extended is selected, then replace all.
Replace popup appears. In the Find what field enter /t. In replace with enter ,
Under Search Mode, extended (n, r, t, �, x..) is selected. Replace All is selected. Popup stating all occurrences were replaced and Ok button is selected.
The popups disappear. The file now is comma delimited instead of tab delimited.
The beginning of line 2 highlights the beginning of the row D1,]
Fix the delimiter. Ensure all fields are comma separated and the second row starts with CH1 for column headers. The second row should be a column header, but in this example, it's the start of the student detail rows with D1.
[The column header row starting with CH1 is added as line 2 and the original line 2 becomes line 3.]
[Nick]: That's a good reminder. Small details can stop the entire file from processing.
[Computer monitor with the Data Upload tab of My Data Submissions page. At the bottom is an Upload log table with one file showing. The reject icon is selected.]
Now that we've resolved the errors and warnings, remind me, what do we do?
[Vijaya]: Reject the current files containing errors and warnings.
[In the table, the file has a status of rejected. A csv file is dragged and dropped into the upload data section and three files appears in the upload processing section. The files disappear from that section and the data correction and finalize submission tabs are highlighted in orange.]
Save the edited files and upload them. Then go through the rest of the data intake platform process to submit those files.
[For assistance: pdpservice@studentclearinghouse.org]
[Nick]: And that's a quick overview of common errors. Want to practice? Try the error handling exercise. Next time we'll cover the data submission tracker and validating your data in dashboards.
