Selecting this topic in the Census Specifications dialog box allows you to specify default values that will be used for missing data at the time a Valuation or Core Projection is executed, with the exception of database fields used in the Selection Expression that chooses the records to process.  The Selection Expression is evaluated before ProVal "reads" the Census Specifications so values of fields it uses must be entered on the database.  Note that default values specified by a Data Default merely fill in missing field values (blanks or, perhaps, “zero-filled” data) or compute absent fields (not on the database); existing database field values are never replaced.  

If the Data Defaults option is used, a summary of its effects will be made available after the Valuation or Core Projection is complete, indicating the records for which default values were assumed.

All existing Defaults are listed. You may click the name of an existing Default to edit it, or click New to enter a new Data Default. Either action will lead to a Default Definition dialog box.

Within the Default Definition dialog box, select the Field that you wish to modify with default values. Clicking the New button will allow you to add a field to the Data Dictionary without exiting the Data Defaults topic.

Once you have selected a field to modify, enter the Default value. Default values will be used for missing data at the time a Valuation or Core Projection is executed.

You may choose to enter the Default value either by expression, or by coded field. The by coded field option is available only if the selected default Field is a numeric field. Enter an expression or select a coded database field and enter values for each code. Default values will be used for missing data at the time a Valuation or Core Projection is executed.

If necessary, you can limit the number of records that will be processed by entering a selection expression for the For records selected by parameter. Only records that meet the selection criteria will be processed. Clicking the button accesses the Retrieve Selection Expression dialog box. Pick a selection expression to retrieve by clicking its name in the list of selection expressions unhidden in the current Project. You will return to the preceding dialog box and the selection expression will appear in the For records selected by text box.

For numeric fields, you have the option to Replace missing and zero values, which is useful if your data is zero-filled, or Replace missing values, only.

Save the Default by using Replace or Save As New, as appropriate. This will bring you back to the first dialog box, where you can select another Default for editing.

Multiple Defaults can be used for a database field. ProVal will execute the Defaults in the order in which they are numbered in the Data Defaults dialog box. Once a field has been temporarily populated by a default value during execution of a Valuation or Core Projection, it will no longer be considered “missing” by ProVal and will therefore not be modified by further Default Definitions. Clicking Reorder allows you to change the numbering and execution order of the Defaults.

In order to see all of the fields for which there are default values, as well as the values or expressions themselves, use the View button in the Census Specifications dialog box.

In order for the Data Defaults to be applied during a Valuation or Core Projection, the Use data defaults box must be checked (found behind the Census Data button) for that Valuation or Core Projection.

If your Valuation or Core Projection excludes some records for missing (and seemingly irrelevant) data, a quick solution is often to Default numeric fields to zero (except salaries). If this box is checked, missing values for fields of the numeric type will be replaced with zeros, except for current and historical salary fields (specified in a Salary Definition). This might occur, for example, if you have a grandfathered benefit, whose amount is entered in a field that is missing values (rather than zero filled) for records for which the field does not apply. Note that missing field values will be defaulted to zero after all the listed Data Defaults have been applied. Therefore, if you have a Data Default that refers to a numeric field with missing values and want ProVal to consider the field value as zero when the Data Default is processed, you should include a preceding Data Default that sets the field value to zero.