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PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide

A guide to converting a Microsoft Excel

spreadsheet to flat file format for importing to

HEPCAT

Contents

Downloading the PIR Microsoft Excel to Flat File Template and Sample HEPCAT Flat Files .................. 2

Copying Data Records from Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet ..................................................................... 4

Pasting Data Records to PIR Microsoft Excel to Flat File Template ........................................................ 6

Copying Data from the PIR Microsoft Excel Template to Sample HEPCAT Flat Files .............................. 8

Appendix ............................................................................................................................................... 10

Flat File Name Formats ..................................................................................................................... 10

File Name Formats ........................................................................................................................ 10

PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide

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Downloading the PIR Microsoft Excel to Flat File Template and Sample HEPCAT Flat Files

Open HEIMSHELP and select Provider Information Request.

PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide

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From the Provider Information Request page select the Introduction to Reporting tab and expand

the PIR test resources heading. Click the PIR test resources link to open page where the files are

available to download.

PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide

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Copying Data Records from Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

Before you progress you must ensure that the organisations data has been exported from

the student management system into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets in the required file

structures as specified on HEIMSHELP. If you need assistance with this step please contact

the department.

Open Microsoft Excel.

Select File > Open from the menu.

PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide

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Navigate to the system folder where your organisations data has been exported from your

student management system to Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, select the spreadsheet which

contains the data being converted and click Open.

Once the spreadsheet has successfully opened highlight all data records, right click the

highlighted data records and click Copy.

When selected the records to copy do not use the Select All or include headings that may

have been exported with the data records. Only actual data records should be copied.

PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide

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Pasting Data Records to PIR Microsoft Excel to Flat File Template

From Microsoft Excel select File > Open from the menu.

Navigate to the system folder where the PIR Microsoft Excel to Flat File Template has been

saved to, select the template and click Open.

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The PIR Microsoft Excel to Flat File Template has a separate tab for each file that is to be

submitted to the department. Locate and click the relevant tab.

Select cell B2 and paste, using Crtl V, the previously copied data records. You will notice that

the cells in column A have been populated.

Before you progress you must check all the cells in column A to ensure that the data records

have copied successfully. If the length of any of the data elements is incorrect an error

(#VALUE) will show. Any cell showing this error will need to be corrected before progressing.

PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide

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NOTE: The main reason why a data record has not copied successfully is due to the format.

Sometimes when data, numbers in most cases, are copied into Microsoft Excel the change

of format removes leading or trailing zeros.

Copying Data from the PIR Microsoft Excel Template to Sample HEPCAT Flat Files

Once all data records have been successfully pasted highlight all records in column A, right

click the highlighted data records and click Copy.

When selected the records to copy do not use the Select All or include the headings that are

highlighted in yellow. Only actual data records should be copied.

PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide

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Open Notepad and paste, using Crtl V, the previously copied data records.

Select File > Save As from the menu.

Navigate to the system folder where the Sample HEPCAT Flat Files have been saved, select

the appropriate sample, update the File Name by replaced 9998 with your organisation

number and removing the .txt extension and click Save.

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NOTE: It is best, once populated with data, to move the Sample HEPCAT Flat Files to

C:\hepcat\Import for importing to HEPCAT. If you do not have HEPCAT installed you can

save these files to another preferred location.

Information on the flat file name formats can be found in the appendix.

Appendix

Flat File Name Formats All files will need to adhere to the following file naming formats.

9999xxyyyy.pnnnnn where:

9999 = provider code (numeric)

xx = abbreviated file type code (e.g. ‘PCO’ or ‘pco’)

yyyy = reporting year (numeric; must be >= 2015)

p = reporting period (numeric; always 1)

nnnnn = submission number (numeric; 00001 to 99999)

File Name Formats

File Type Code File Format PIR Course of Study PCO 9998PCO2016.100001

PIR Half Year Load Estimates PLE 9998PLE2017.100001

PIR Past Course Completions PPS 9998PPS2016.100001

PIR Student PSD 9998PSD2016.100001

PIR Staff PSF 9998PSF2017.100001