Downloading & Using Pipe-Delimited Flat Files

These instructions are for users who cannot connect to the live PostreSQL database or who want the flexibility of manipulating this information in a raw, conventional text-based format. The flat files can also be used to populate a non-PostgreSQL database. Each set of flat files is created every day from the most current version of the live AACT database. Each daily set of flat files is made available for download until the end of the month. On the first of each month, a permanent copy of the flat files is created, archived and will remain available for download from this website.

General information about Flat Files

  1. Structure of Flat Files: The files were created under a PC environment using UTF-8 encoding. Fields within each file are separated by the vertical bar character (“|”) commonly referred to as a “pipe”. A null or missing value for a field is delineated by consecutive “pipes” in the data stream. Records within each file are delimited by the line feed (LF) character. The first row of each file contains a delimited list of field names and the order of these names indicates the order of the data fields in the flat file. Most fields are character and are not enclosed within quotes, although single or double quotes may appear embedded within many of the descriptive fields.
  2. Modifications to Source Content to Facilitate Use of Flat Files: In rare cases, the actual content of the study data contains an embedded pipe (“|”). To prevent software from interpreting the embedded pipe as a delimiter, the entire string containing the pipe has been enclosed in double quotes. Also,line feed and paragraph break characters within fields, which might otherwise be interpreted as end of record characters, have been removed from the flat file database extracts.
  3. Users are encouraged to refer to the Schema Diagram and associated information to determine the relationships between the different data files that comprise AACT. These relationships determine how data sets may be merged together. There is one flat file for each database table indicated in the Schema Diagram. In addition, flat files containing meta data are available (data_definitions.txt, sanity_checks.txt, statistics.txt) are included. The Data Dictionary provides critical information about datasets and variables, including the expected number of records in a dataset, and the length of each variable.
1

Download Zip File Containing Pipe-Delimited Files

Current Month's Daily Copies

[{:name=>"20181023_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/23/2018", :size=>"827 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181023_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181021_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/21/2018", :size=>"826 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181021_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181020_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/20/2018", :size=>"826 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181020_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181019_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/19/2018", :size=>"825 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181019_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181018_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/18/2018", :size=>"825 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181018_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181017_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/17/2018", :size=>"824 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181017_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181016_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/16/2018", :size=>"823 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181016_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181014_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/14/2018", :size=>"822 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181014_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181013_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/13/2018", :size=>"822 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181013_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181012_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/12/2018", :size=>"822 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181012_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181011_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/11/2018", :size=>"821 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181011_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181010_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/10/2018", :size=>"821 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181010_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181007_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/07/2018", :size=>"820 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181007_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181006_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/06/2018", :size=>"820 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181006_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181005_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/05/2018", :size=>"819 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181005_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181004_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/04/2018", :size=>"819 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181004_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181003_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/03/2018", :size=>"818 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181003_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181002_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/02/2018", :size=>"818 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181002_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20181001_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/01/2018", :size=>"817 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/daily/20181001_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}]
Downloadable File Date Created Size
20181023_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/23/2018 827 MB
20181021_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/21/2018 826 MB
20181020_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/20/2018 826 MB
20181019_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/19/2018 825 MB
20181018_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/18/2018 825 MB
20181017_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/17/2018 824 MB
20181016_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/16/2018 823 MB
20181014_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/14/2018 822 MB
20181013_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/13/2018 822 MB
20181012_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/12/2018 822 MB
20181011_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/11/2018 821 MB
20181010_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/10/2018 821 MB
20181007_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/07/2018 820 MB
20181006_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/06/2018 820 MB
20181005_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/05/2018 819 MB
20181004_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/04/2018 819 MB
20181003_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/03/2018 818 MB
20181002_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/02/2018 818 MB
20181001_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/01/2018 817 MB

Monthly Archives

[{:name=>"20181001_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/01/2018", :size=>"817 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20181001_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20180901_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"09/01/2018", :size=>"808 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20180901_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20180801_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"08/01/2018", :size=>"795 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20180801_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20180701_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"07/01/2018", :size=>"785 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20180701_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20180601_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"06/01/2018", :size=>"775 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20180601_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20180501_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"05/01/2018", :size=>"768 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20180501_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20180401_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"04/01/2018", :size=>"758 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20180401_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20180314_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"03/14/2018", :size=>"754 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20180314_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20180201_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"02/01/2018", :size=>"739 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20180201_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20180111_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"01/11/2018", :size=>"734 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20180111_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20171217_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"12/17/2017", :size=>"727 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20171217_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20171102_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"11/02/2017", :size=>"711 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20171102_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20171017_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"10/17/2017", :size=>"706 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20171017_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20170906_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"09/06/2017", :size=>"695 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20170906_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20170811_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"08/11/2017", :size=>"679 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20170811_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20170618_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"06/18/2017", :size=>"450 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20170618_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20170508_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"05/08/2017", :size=>"367 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20170508_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20170416_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"04/16/2017", :size=>"539 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20170416_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20170218_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"02/18/2017", :size=>"356 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20170218_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20170201_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"02/01/2017", :size=>"440 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20170201_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}, {:name=>"20170105_pipe-delimited-export.zip", :date_created=>"01/05/2017", :size=>"412 MB", :url=>"/static/exported_files/monthly/20170105_pipe-delimited-export.zip"}]
Downloadable File Date Created Size
20181001_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/01/2018 817 MB
20180901_pipe-delimited-export.zip 09/01/2018 808 MB
20180801_pipe-delimited-export.zip 08/01/2018 795 MB
20180701_pipe-delimited-export.zip 07/01/2018 785 MB
20180601_pipe-delimited-export.zip 06/01/2018 775 MB
20180501_pipe-delimited-export.zip 05/01/2018 768 MB
20180401_pipe-delimited-export.zip 04/01/2018 758 MB
20180314_pipe-delimited-export.zip 03/14/2018 754 MB
20180201_pipe-delimited-export.zip 02/01/2018 739 MB
20180111_pipe-delimited-export.zip 01/11/2018 734 MB
20171217_pipe-delimited-export.zip 12/17/2017 727 MB
20171102_pipe-delimited-export.zip 11/02/2017 711 MB
20171017_pipe-delimited-export.zip 10/17/2017 706 MB
20170906_pipe-delimited-export.zip 09/06/2017 695 MB
20170811_pipe-delimited-export.zip 08/11/2017 679 MB
20170618_pipe-delimited-export.zip 06/18/2017 450 MB
20170508_pipe-delimited-export.zip 05/08/2017 367 MB
20170416_pipe-delimited-export.zip 04/16/2017 539 MB
20170218_pipe-delimited-export.zip 02/18/2017 356 MB
20170201_pipe-delimited-export.zip 02/01/2017 440 MB
20170105_pipe-delimited-export.zip 01/05/2017 412 MB

2

Extract Contents of Zip File

In Windows, this can be done by right clicking on the file and selecting ‘Extract All…’ from the menu. You will be given the opportunity to choose or create a destination folder to contain the extracted flat files. Once the file extraction has completed your destination folder will contain the extracted flat files. Files are named according to the database table to which they correspond, for example studies.txt contains the records and variables from the studies database table.

3

Access Content with Favorite Analysis Tool

The flat files can be read with many software tools. The files can even be opened in MS Excel (specify the pipe character as delimiter), however some of the files are very large and this is not recommended. Tips are provided for SAS and R software.

Using R

Click here for hints about how to use R with the Pipe-delimited Files

Using SAS

Click here for hints about how to use SAS with the Pipe-delimited Files