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Allow decimal transaction values

This thread: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/iati-technical/MB4ZclVvr3I has highlighted that the IATI Schema only allows integers for transaction values. 

Is there a strong reason for this? Or should the schema be set to allow float (decimal) values also? 

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4 Comments

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    Mark Brough

    Strongly agree with this. I know some organisations have said that their data doesn't add up correctly if they have to round up all transactions to the nearest integer, particularly if the data is very disaggregated.. Given that these are monetary values it makes sense to allow decimals.

    Changing this value to a float would also be backward-compatible as integers would still validate, I think?

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    David Carpenter

    Just to add that there has also been some feedback on a similar ask for percentages to also get a decimal field. (What do you put when stuff is divided 3 ways if you can only use integers?)

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    Mark Brough

    Strongly agree with your comment David. Both percentages and values should permit decimals.

    Support this change for the 1.03 decimal upgrade.

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    Bill Anderson

    It is proposed that the format for all financial values and percentages is changed from Integer to Decimal.

     

    Please continue to comment in this topic.
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