FPDS Query Library
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Contract Action Type Description

Human-readable description for the coded Contract Action Type value in an Other Transaction IDV record. It labels the underlying action type code so the action can be read directly without decoding the source value.

Family: Other Transaction IDV
Category: Contract Data
Data Type: string
Semantic Type: description
Mapping: flattened_fpds_xml_field
AI Confidence: high

Variable Overview

FPDS Query Variable
content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType__description
Title
Contract Action Type Description
FPDS Path
OtherTransactionIDV/contractDetail/contractData/contractActionType/description
Description
Human-readable description for the coded Contract Action Type value in an Other Transaction IDV record. It labels the underlying action type code so the action can be read directly without decoding the source value.
Business Meaning
This field helps analysts classify the nature of the transaction when reviewing Other Transaction IDVs, especially in summaries and dashboards where coded values are not self-explanatory. It supports consistent interpretation of obligation, award, and modification activity across procurement records.
Example Value
OTHER TRANSACTION IDV
Observed Non-Null Count
13,417

FPDS Compare

FPDS Query Variable
content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType__description
FPDS XML Path
OtherTransactionIDV/contractDetail/contractData/contractActionType/description
Mapping Type
flattened_fpds_xml_field
Comparison Summary
FPDS Query flattens the original nested FPDS XML path 'OtherTransactionIDV/contractDetail/contractData/contractActionType/description' into the SQL-ready variable 'content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType__description'.

Use Cases

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

Common Usage

  • Display a readable action type in reports
  • Validate or decode the paired Contract Action Type code
  • Segment Other Transaction IDVs by action type description

Common Mistakes

  • Using the description field instead of the code as the primary grouping key
  • Assuming the text is standardized across all records without checking observed values

Query Guidance

Select this field alongside the coded Contract Action Type field for reporting. When aggregating, group by the code and use the description as a label; if filtering on text, normalize case and trim whitespace, and consider deduplicating near-identical labels.

SQL Examples

Preview values

SELECT
    content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType__description AS contract_action_type_description
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType__description IS NOT NULL
LIMIT 25

Top values

SELECT
    content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType__description AS value,
    count() AS record_count
FROM fpds.data
WHERE content__OtherTransactionIDV__contractDetail__contractData__contractActionType__description 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.