ADaMVariableSpec

The specification of one variable in an ADaM dataset template.

Usage

Source

ADaMVariableSpec(
    name,
    label,
    dtype,
    core="Perm",
    required=False,
    max_length=None,
    controlled_term=None,
    source=None,
    condition=None,
    is_population_flag=False,
)

An ADaMDatasetTemplate holds an ADaMVariableSpec for each variable of its dataset, in its variables list. The specification gives the variable’s label, type and core designation, the condition under which a conditionally required variable is needed, where its values come from, and whether it is a population flag. validate_adam() uses required and is_population_flag to decide which checks to make.

Parameters

name: str

The variable name, such as "USUBJID", "PARAMCD" or "AVAL".

label: str

The variable label, such as "Unique Subject Identifier".

dtype: str

The data type: "Char" for character variables or "Num" for numeric ones (including dates, which ADaM stores as numbers).

core: str = "Perm"

The core designation: "Req" (required), "Cond" (conditionally required: needed when the condition in condition holds) or "Perm" (permissible). The default is "Perm".

required: bool = False

Whether the variable is required in every dataset of this type. In the templates, this is True exactly when core is "Req". The default is False.

max_length: int | None = None

The maximum length of the values of a character variable. The default is None (no maximum).

controlled_term: str | None = None

The name of the controlled terminology codelist for the variable’s values, such as "NY" for the population flags. The default is None.

source: str | None = None

Where the variable’s values come from, such as "SDTM.DM" (copied from the Demographics domain) or "Derived from SDTM.EX". The default is None (not specified).

condition: str | None = None

For a conditionally required variable, a description of when it is required, such as "Required if safety population defined". The default is None.

is_population_flag: bool = False

Whether the variable is a population flag (such as SAFFL or ITTFL), whose values must be "Y" or "N". The default is False.

Examples

Specifications are usually taken from a template. Here is the one for the safety population flag, SAFFL, in the ADSL template:

import pointblank as pb

saffl = pb.get_adam_dataset("ADSL").get_variable("SAFFL")

saffl

ADaMVariableSpec(name='SAFFL', label='Safety Population Flag', dtype='Char', core='Cond', required=False, max_length=1, controlled_term='NY', source=None, condition='Required if safety population defined', is_population_flag=True)

SAFFL is a one-character population flag with values from the NY codelist. It is conditionally required, and condition says when: whenever the study defines a safety population.

See Also

ADaMDatasetTemplate

The template that holds the specifications of a dataset’s variables.

SDTMVariableSpec

The equivalent for SDTM domain templates.