DG AGS4 validation tool (beta)

Tool to check whether an AGS file conforms with the AGS format rules and data dictionary.

This is a front end to the 'official' AGS validation tool created and maintained by the AGS validator open source project.

Please note that the AGS validator is (at time of writing) a beta version. AGS state that the beta version must NOT be used, or specified for use in production scenarios.

Instructions
  • Select file to validate using file picker below
  • Review and select options below, as applicable
  • Click button to run - then please be patient as large files may take a while to process!
  • Results are presented on screen, with option to download the results as a file

If you are having problems, or if you would just like to provide some feedback, then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Limitations

Select AGS version to be validated against

* Version stated in file (TRAN_AGS) will be used. If this is blank or invalid, AGS4 validator default will be used.

Additional technical information

This app is a front end to the 'official' AGS validation tool created and maintained by the AGS validator open source project. Further information can be found on the AGS (validator) Python library Gitlab page.

This Digital Geotechnical front end provides the file selection page, the results page and the downloadable results files. File parsing and validation is undertaken by the AGS tool, which feeds results to our front end. We have achieved this by referencing the python-ags4 python library in our code.

The version of the AGS python library used is stated in the output (Metadata section). We will try to ensure that this tool uses the latest version of the AGS validator. However, we cannot guarantee that this will always be the case. In particular there may be a delay in implementation of AGS library updates whilst we carry out compatiblity testing, especially during the beta phase of the AGS library where changes between versions could be significant. If you are not sure then please use the above links to confirm the latest version of the AGS library.

Please note that the AGS validator is (at time of writing) a beta version. AGS state that the beta version must NOT be used, or specified for use in production scenarios. Therefore this tool should be used accordingly (see also our general limitations).

Please get in touch if you wish to process files larger than 10MB.

Revision history

Only changes that affect the results and other signficant changes are listed here. Minor cosmetic changes may not be included.

Version Date Description of change
1.3.0 07/05/2024 v0.6.0 of AGS Validator library (python-ags4) implemented. This includes some bug fixes and minor enhancements - see python-ags4 documentation for details.
Validation Process Errors that cause early termination of validation are now correctly catpured and reported.
JSON file output amended to match the dict output from the Validator.
Option to have either/or txt or JSON output removed. Both txt and JSON output are now made available for download. However, creation of these files can be suppressed using the new toggle button.
1.2.0 16/02/2024 v0.5.0 of AGS Validator library (python-ags4) implemented. This includes some signficant bug fixes and enhancements - see python-ags4 documentation for details.
Warnings and FYI (added in v0.5.0 of python-ags4) are summarised and listed separate from the main validation errors.
Default version assumed for validation changed to 4.1.1 (only used in absence of selection or unable to interpret from TRAN_AGS).
Maximum permitted file size increased to 10MB.
Updated backend (Python 3.12, Flask 3.0.2, jinja2 3.1.3, werkzeug 3.0.1).
1.1.0 25/11/2022 v0.4.1 of AGS Validator library (python_ags4) implemented.
Improved error handling, e.g. useful message output if validator terminates process early due to a critical issue such as a BOM.
Revised internal process for obtaining AGS version from file (TRAN_AGS) that is less likely to fail.
1.0.0 01/02/2022 First stable release