Converting between versions of the IATI Standard

Community Zone Using IATI Data
#1

Having automatic conversion tools between versions of the IATI Standard is helpful for keeping the burden on users of the data low, so that they only have to deal with one rather than many different versions of the standard.

I put together a quick (and limited) conversion tool to convert data from v2.01 of the standard to v1.05. I needed this to avoid having to make significant changes to my code for an existing tool that uses v1.05 data.

The code is here in case this approach is interesting or useful to others, but I’d also be interested to hear if there are other similar conversion tools available (or bits of them, in any language). I think this really is a public good, and if it cannot be provided / maintained centrally (which I think would be ideal, but I recognise the constraints) then it would be good to collaborate on it.

It would also be nice to have a conversion tool the other way round, and from different decimal versions of v1.x, especially given the change in the geocoding standard.

#2

I couldn’t agree more, @markbrough. The more conversion tools to lower the bar of uptake for organizations, the more we can ensure the continued uptake of the Standard. More importantly, it ensures the actual usefulness to organizations, rather than just being another data reporting effort required to check a box.

I would argue that conversion tools are essential. Tools to assist in the conversion of one version to another is key, but I would also argue we shouldn’t stop there (I won’t digress about transformers and connectors now). I think it would be great if we could have this version conversion tool taken up by the Secretariat as a service to the community.

Thanks again, @markbrough for the great legwork on the v1.05 conversion tool!