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Version 1.0 Produced 2008-06-16

Files downloaded during data collection

The data collection process involves the generation of a number of files that institutions can download and use for checking and for future reference (e.g. the DLHE population). These files will be produced as XML.

Number of files per return

Under the old data specification, institutions could submit their data in a number of separate files. Although the move to XML does not preclude this itself, there are some issues to be considered.

• The move to a normalised structure means that, for each submitted file, each student, course and module must appear once and once only
• For validation processes to work, Course records must be in the same XML file as the Instances that link to those courses (and vice-versa)
• For validation processes to work, Module records must be in the same XML file as the Instances that link via StudentOnModule to those modules (and vice-versa)

Therefore, submitting data in a number of files can only be achieved if each file is discrete and complete.

This means that the validation for each submission will ensure that :

• Each Student entity is unique (on the basis of HUSID)
• Each Module entity is unique (on the basis of MODID)
• Each Course entity is unique (on the basis of COURSEID)
• Every Course and Module that an Instance refers to must exist within that submission
• Multiple Instances within a Student entity must be unique (on the basis of NUMHUS)
• Every entity must be complete

If an institution submits multiple files, for example from separate campuses, then validation will require that all the attributes for any Student, Module or Course are unique within an institution, even if the Student, Course or Module is submitted in multiple files.

Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.