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
Opportunity through learning
PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide
Downloading the PIR Microsoft Excel to Flat File Template
and Sample HEPCAT Flat Files
Open HEIMSHELP and select Provider Information Request.
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PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide
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.
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PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide
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.
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PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide
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.
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PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide
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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PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide
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.
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PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide
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.
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PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide
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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PIR Collection – Microsoft Excel to Flat File Guide
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
PIR Course of Study
PIR Half Year Load Estimates
PIR Past Course Completions
PIR Student
PIR Staff
Code
PCO
PLE
PPS
PSD
PSF
File Format
9998PCO2016.100001
9998PLE2017.100001
9998PPS2016.100001
9998PSD2016.100001
9998PSF2017.100001
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