The Custom Screening Tests command lets you set up tests that are tailored to your data requirements. The tests you code are saved to the Custom Screening Test library, which can be accessed from the Custom Tests topic for the Screen Data command. To run the Custom Tests, use the Screen Data command.

Name is a descriptive phrase used to identify the library entry.

Radio buttons allow you to choose whether the test Type is to be categorized as an Error or Warning. (The Error or Warning distinction has no intrinsic meaning to ProVal beyond the purpose of helping you to gauge the seriousness of data problems encountered, and the term "error" is sometimes used in the broad sense, encompassing both categories.)

Custom tests may be used to evaluate conditions in the Current Year database only, or they can involve both the current and Prior Year databases.

Selection Expression can be used to define the error condition(s) or to select records for which comparison tests are to be run.

The following coding example indicates how the or absent check box might be used for Prior Year data:

Current Year Selection Expression: Status #in (2, 3, 4) ;retired, survivor or vested
Prior Year Selection Expression: Status #in (7, 9) ;ineligible or terminated without liability

This combination of criteria is intended to find records that had no liability in the prior year but now have an inactive liability. In order to be captured by this screening test, however, a record that meets the Current Year criteria had to have been present in the Prior Year database. Checking the Prior Year's or absent check box will enable the test to also capture records that meet the Current Year criteria and were absent from the Prior Year's database.

Similarly, the Current Year's or absent check box would be used in screening for records that meet criteria coded in the Prior Year Selection Expression but that are missing from the Current Year database. (Errors for records missing from the Current Year database are logged with the Prior Year database.)

Click the Compare check box to enable entry in the comparison fields, and specify the current and prior year database fields that you want to compare. To run a comparison test, you must also specify the range outside of which values are to be reported as errors. The range may be expressed as a difference or as a % difference by use of the check boxes and their corresponding fields.