Laboratory Data Entry System (LDES)

Data Transmittal Format

The Department realizes that facilities and laboratories do not all have the same capability in providing electronic records.  Therefore, there are a number of options for electronic submittal.  They are 1) tab-delimited text file, 2) XML (extensible markup language) format, and 3) web data entry form (public drinking water only).

1. Tab-Delimited text file: The options for this type of submittal are:
• Multiple record types in a single file. This will include 1 Batch record, followed by as many Sample, Analysis, Result, and Memo records as required. The sample, analysis, result, and memo records can be in any order.
• Multiple record types in multiple files. Send 1 file for each type of record. The batch record must be repeated as the first record in each batch.
• Combined records. In this case, we put the sample, analysis, result, and memo information into a single record for each result. The file includes 1 batch record followed by combined records. This format does not allow samples to be submitted without analyses and results, and only allows for a single memo for each analysis.



File layout examples for tab-delimited format with 3 samples, 4 analyses, 10 results, and 2 memos:



See the linked spreadsheet (Excel 97)  file for explanations of the fields associated with each of the types of records referenced above.

2. XML format: The Department has adopted "eXtended Markup Language" (XML) for data transfer in the future.  In order to use the XML file format, the tags for the markup language have been standardized into a XML schema.


3. Web data entry form (for public drinking water results only): The web-based data entry form is now available for laboratories to enter public Safe Drinking Water Act samples. Click here for more information on entering these types of sample results directly via the web.

In addition, we have taken a couple of drinking water forms and mapped out on them the field names for both the tab-delimited and XML formats. Open the file forms.pdf to view what data on the form translates to in the electronic files.