FPDS Query Library
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Generic String08

Free-text string stored in the Award-level Generic Tags area as the 08th generic string field. It is a reusable attribute field that can hold analyst-defined or system-populated text, but its meaning depends on how the source system populated it.

Family: Award
Category: Generic Tags
Data Type: string
Semantic Type: attribute
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__genericTags__genericStrings__genericString08
Title
Generic String08
FPDS Path
award/genericTags/genericStrings/genericString08
Description
Free-text string stored in the Award-level Generic Tags area as the 08th generic string field. It is a reusable attribute field that can hold analyst-defined or system-populated text, but its meaning depends on how the source system populated it.
Business Meaning
This field can support custom segmentation, tagging, and downstream reporting when agencies use Generic Tags to carry additional award attributes not captured in standard FPDS fields. It may help analysts group records for specialized reviews, workflow tracking, or data integration with agency-specific procurement systems.
Example Value
Example value

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__award__genericTags__genericStrings__genericString08
FPDS XML Path
award/genericTags/genericStrings/genericString08
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'award/genericTags/genericStrings/genericString08' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__award__genericTags__genericStrings__genericString08'.

Use Cases

  • Dictionary lookup and field explanation
  • SQL filtering and grouping
  • Analytical reporting and reusable query building

Common Usage

  • Agency-specific tagging for award classification
  • Filtering records in custom reporting workflows
  • Joining or validating against source-system supplemental attributes

Common Mistakes

  • Assuming the field has a universal FPDS-defined meaning
  • Using the value as a coded category without verifying source documentation

Query Guidance

Use exact-match, IN-list, or pattern filters depending on the observed value format, and normalize case/whitespace if the source is inconsistent. In SQL, pair this field with source metadata or adjacent generic fields when building groupings, and treat NULL or blank values as absence of a custom tag rather than a meaningful category.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__award__genericTags__genericStrings__genericString08 AS generic_string08
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__genericTags__genericStrings__genericString08 IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

SELECT
    content__award__genericTags__genericStrings__genericString08 AS value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__award__genericTags__genericStrings__genericString08 IS NOT NULL
GROUP BY value
ORDER BY record_count DESC
LIMIT 25

Each dictionary item includes SQL-ready examples generated alongside the variable metadata, allowing immediate use in FPDS Query for filtering, aggregation, and analysis.