LIMS Data Output Overview

SUMMARY

This document will go over the data output generated by the NEXT software. The available output types are Comma Separated Values (CSV) or Extensible Markup Language (XML).

SOLUTION

CSV

Line 1: LIMS Report ID

After line 1 each report parameter is in the following format:

ITEM, SPECIMEN 1 RESULT, SPECIMEN 2 RESULT, ..., SPECIMEN 8 RESULT, UNITS

Note: the number of results depends on the number of specimens are in the test (the default specimen count is 4). If the specimen is included and contains no results, the result value will be an empty string or a 0.

Note: As of 11.01.2024 the CSV output from the software can be ROW or COLUMN output.

• With row output will headers are the start of each line.
• With column output headers are all on line 1.

Example:

1234567
Height,2.0,2.1,Lbf,

XML

1. Groups

• Description: The top-level element that contains one or more groups of related data.
• Purpose: This is where all the groups of data are organized. Each group has a name and a collection of data items.

---

2. Group Name

• Element: <GroupName>
• Description: Represents the name of a specific group.
• Purpose: Used to identify a group of related data items. Each group should have a unique and meaningful name.
• Example: A group could be named "Laboratory Results" or "Inventory Data."

---

3. Data Items

• Element: <DataItems>
• Description: A container that holds multiple pieces of data (data items) for the group.
• Purpose: Groups similar types of information together. Each DataItems element contains individual pieces of data such as IDs or measurements.

---

4. Data Item Name

• Element: <Name>
• Description: The name of a specific data item, such as "LIMS ID."
• Purpose: This provides a label for the data stored within the group. Each data item should be labeled clearly for easy understanding.

---

5. Data Item Value

• Element: <Value>
• Description: Stores one or more actual values for the data item.
• Purpose: This is where the data is stored. The values could be numbers, text, or other types of information. Multiple values can be stored in the same data item if needed.
• Example: A value for "LIMS ID" could be a series of numbers or strings like "123456" or "789012."

---

6. Units

• Element: <Units> (optional)
• Description: Specifies the measurement units for the data item, such as "mL" or "kg."
• Purpose: This provides context for the data values by indicating what units the values are measured in. If the data does not require units, this element can be left blank.

Example:

<Groups>
    <XML_Group>
        <GroupName>SPECIMEN</GroupName>
        <DataItems>
            <XML_Data>
                <Name>Height</Name>
                <Value>
                    <string>2.0</string>
                    <string>2.1</string>
                </Value>
                <Units>in</Units>
            </XML_Data>
        </DataItems>
    </XML_Group>
</Groups>

How to Use:

1. Groups: Each <XML_Group> represents a set of related data items. For example, one group might hold lab results, while another might hold inventory data.
2. GroupName: This identifies the type of data the group contains. Currently the group names are as follows:  PROJECT, SPECIMEN, and RESULTS.
3. Data Items: Each <XML_Data> element contains a specific data item, with its name, values, and optionally, units.
4. Values: Each data item can have multiple values, depending on the context. For example, a sample height might have multiple values to represent different specimen.
5. Units: When applicable, provide units for the data to clarify measurements. If the data doesn’t require units (e.g., a text string), this element can be omitted or left empty.