DICT: User Defined Groups and Headings

  • Class: Samples, Amalgamated Specimens and Laboratory Test Scheduling
Heading Unit Type Example Description
DICT_TYPE   PA HEADING Flag to indicate definition is a GROUP or HEADING (ie can be either of GROUP or HEADING)
DICT_GRP   X NGRP Group name
DICT_HDNG   X NGRP_HED1 Heading name (Note: This data is REQUIRED where DICT_TYPE=”HEADING”)
DICT_STAT   PA OTHER Heading status KEY, REQUIRED or OTHER (Note: This data is REQUIRED where DICT_TYPE=”HEADING”)
DICT_DTYP   PT 2DP (see AGS Data Dictionary 8.1.2) Type of data and format (Note: This data is REQUIRED where DICT_TYPE=”HEADING”)
DICT_DESC   X New group heading 1 Description
DICT_UNIT   PU mg/kg Units (Note: This data is REQUIRED where DICT_TYPE=”HEADING”)
DICT_EXMP   X 20 Example
DICT_PGRP   X LOCA Parent group name (Note: This data is REQUIRED where DICT_TYPE=”GROUP”)
DICT_REM   X   Remarks
FILE_FSET   X FS1 Associated file reference

Notes - 5

  • DICT is required in all AGS4 files where user defined groups and/or headings are specified (Rule 18).
  • DICT_STAT defines the status of the heading. This shall contain the data ‘KEY’, ‘REQUIRED’, ‘KEY???’ or ‘OTHER’, where OTHER denotes the field is neither key nor required (Rule 10).
  • DICT_PGRP allows for inclusion of the parent group name when the DICT_TYPE is “GROUP”. This permits data integrity checking where data files include user defined groups.
  • If the DICT_TYPE is HEADING, then there should be data present under DICT_GRP, DICT_HDNG, DICT_STAT, DICT_UNIT, DICT_DTYP and DICT_DESC. Where the heading has no unit then the DICT_UNIT field should be set to “-” to clearly indicate this.
  • If the DICT_TYPE is GROUP the DICT_GRP, DICT_DESC shall contain data and the DICT_HDNG, DICT_STAT, DICT_DTYP and DICT_UNIT headings shall contain NULL values.