Guide to Output Files
Geoconvert can produce a variety of output files, depending upon the functions and options selected. Descriptions of the output files are provided below. In all of the descriptions, <number> represents a random number generated by GeoConvert, which will be the same for all files produced during the same GeoConvert operation.
Reject Rows Output Files
Reject rows output files have names of the form <number>_rejects.csv, and may be produced during validation and import of user input files. They contain details of any problems detected in the input files that have resulted in the rejection of individual rows from the import process. The files contain a list of the problems that have caused the row rejections, ordered by input file row number, and then by column number within the row. The file is produced in CSV format, with columns providing details of the type of problem that has resulted in rejection of the row.
Unmatched Zone Codes Output Files
Unmatched zone codes output files have names of the form <number>_unmatched.csv, and contain lists of input zone codes that GeoConvert was unable to find a match for within its match and conversion tables. In most cases this is due to the input zone code not being one of the 'real' codes within the set used for the particular geography specified by the user (for example, BA9 0EH looks like a postcode, and has the correct structure for one, but [at the time of writing] has never been used by Royal Mail to identify a real postcode). In a very small number of cases involving smaller geographical zones (such as 2001 census output areas), but not postcodes, genuine codes may remain unmatched where the centroids of the postcodes that cover them all fall outside their boundaries. Further information is available upon request.
Matched Zone Codes Output Files
Matched zone output files have names of the form <number>_matched.csv. They contain details of the geographical intersections (overlaps) between the user-specified source and target geographies for all input zone codes that GeoConvert has been able to find a match for within the specified source geography. It is important to recognise that a single input zone code may have several rows in the matched zone codes output file, if it overlaps several target geography zones. The rows in the file are ordered by the input file row number. The 'proportion' column gives the proportional redistribution of the source zone to the target zone.
Conversion Output Files
Conversion output files have names of the form <number>_converted.csv. These files contain the results of the conversion of numeric data between user-selected source and target geographies. Records exist for all target geography zones to which data provided for source geography zones has been converted.