Average Price Data (AP) ap.txt Section Listing 1. Survey Definition 2. FTP files listed in the survey directory 3. Time series, series file, data file, & mapping file definitions and relationships 4. Series file format and field definitions 5. Data file format and field definitions 6. Mapping file formats and field definitions 7. Data Element Dictionary =================================================================================== Section 1 =================================================================================== The following is a definition of: Average Price Data (AP) Survey Description: Average consumer prices are calculated for household fuel, motor fuel, and food items from prices collected for the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Average prices are best used to measure the price level in a particular month, not to measure price change over time. It is more appropriate to use CPI index values for the particular item categories to measure price change. Prices, except for electricity, are collected monthly by BLS representatives in the 75 urban areas priced for the CPI. Electricity prices are collected for the BLS for the same 75 areas on a monthly basis by the Department of Energy using mail questionnaires. All fuel prices include applicable Federal, State, and local taxes; prices for natural gas and electricity also include fuel and purchased gas adjustments. Summary Data Available: Average consumer prices for household fuel and motor fuel are available for the U.S. city average, 23 urban areas, 4 regions, 12 region/size class groupings, and 9 divisions. Average consumer prices for food are available for the U.S. city average, and four regions. Monthly data are available for up to 6 household fuel categories, 6 motor fuel categories, and around 100 food categories. Frequency of Observations: All data are monthly; annual averages are not available. Data Characteristics: Average prices are stored to three decimal places. Updating Schedule: Updates become available with the monthly release of new data, typically from the 10th to the 14th of the month following the reference month. ==================================================================================== Section 2 ==================================================================================== The following Average Price Data files are on the BLS internet in the sub-directory pub/time.series/ap: ap.data.0.Current - All current year-to-date data ap.data.1.HouseholdFuels - All household fuels data ap.data.2.Gasoline - All gasoline data ap.data.3.Food - All food data ap.area - Area codes mapping file ap.contacts - Contacts for ap survey ap.footnote - Footnote codes mapping file ap.item - Item codes mapping file ap.period - Period codes mapping file ap.series - All series and their beginning and end Dates ap.txt - General information ================================================================================= Section 3 ================================================================================= The definition of a time series, its relationship to and the interrelationship among series, data and mapping files is detailed below: A time series refers to a set of data observed over an extended period of time over consistent time intervals (i.e. monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually). BLS time series data are typically produced at monthly intervals and represent data ranging from a specific consumer item in a specific geographical area whose price is gathered monthly to a category of worker in a specific industry whose employment rate is being recorded monthly, etc. The FTP files are organized such that data users are provided with the following set of files to use in their efforts to interpret data files: a) a series file (only one series file per survey) b) mapping files c) data files The series file contains a set of codes which, together, compose a series identification code that serves to uniquely identify a single time series. Additionally, the series file also contains the following series-level information: a) the period and year corresponding to the first data observation b) the period and year corresponding to the most recent data observation The mapping files are definition files that contain explanatory text descriptions that correspond to each of the various codes contained within each series identification code. The data file contains one line of data for each observation period pertaining to a specific time series. Each line contains a reference to the following: a) a series identification code b) year in which data is observed c) period for which data is observed (M13, Q05, and S03 indicate annual averages) d) value e) footnote code (if available) ================================================================================= Section 4 ================================================================================= File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define ap.series. Note the Field Numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the database. Data files are in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by spaces; the first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. series_id 17 APU0000701111 2. area_code 4 S100 3. item_code 7 712211 4. begin_year 4 1980 5. begin_period 3 M01 6. end_year 4 2002 7. end_period 3 M02 The series_id (APU0000701111) can be broken out into: Code Value(Example) survey abbreviation = AP seasonal(code) = U area_code = 0000 item_code = 701111 ================================================================================== Section 5 ================================================================================== File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define each data file. Note that the field numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the database. Data files are in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by spaces; the first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. The ap.data file is partitioned into four separate files: 1. ap.data.0.Current = All current year-to-date data 2. ap.data.1.HouseholdFuels = All household fuel (fuel oil, utility gas, electricity) data 3. ap.data.2.Gasoline = All gasoline data 4. ap.data.3.Food = All food data Both of the above data files have the following format: Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. series_id 17 APU0000701111 2. year 4 1980 3. period 3 M01 4. value 12 0.238 5. footnote_codes 10 It varies The series_id (APU0000701111) can be broken out into: Code Value(Example) survey abbreviation = AP seasonal(code) = U area_code = 0000 item_code = 701111 ============================================================================ Section 6 ============================================================================ File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define each mapping file. Note that the field numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the database. Mapping files are in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by tabs; the first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. File Name: ap.area Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. area_code 4 A100 2. area_name 80 Text File Name: ap.footnote Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. footnote_code 1 C 2. footnote_text 100 Text File Name: ap.item Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. item_code 7 712211 2. item_name 100 Text File Name: ap.period Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. period 3 M01 2. period_abbr 5 JAN 3. period_name 20 Text ============================================================================== Section 7 ============================================================================== AVERAGE PRICE DATA (AP) DATABASE ELEMENTS Data Element Length Value(Example) Description area_code 4 A100 Unique code used to identify a specific geographic area. area_name 80 Text Name of specific geographic Ex: MIAMI, FLA area. begin_period 3 M02 Identifies first data observation Ex: M02=Feb within the first year for which (M=Monthly, M13= data is available for a given time Annual Avg) series. begin_year 4 1990 Identifies first year for which data is available for a given time series. end_period 3 M06 Identifies last data observation Ex: M06=June within the last year for which (M=Monthly, M13= data is available for a given time Annual Avg) series. end_year 4 2000 Identifies last year for which data is available for a given time series. footnote_code 1 C Identifies footnote for the data series. footnote_codes 10 It varies Identifies footnotes for the data series. footnote_text 100 Text Contains the text of the footnote. item_code 7 712211 Identifies item for which data observations pertain. item_name 100 Text Full names of items. period_abbr 5 JAN Abbreviation of period name. period 3 M01 Identifies period for which data Ex: M01=Jan is observed. (M=Monthly, M13= Annual Avg) period_name 20 Text Full name of period to which Ex: January the data observation refers. series_id 17 APU0000701111 Code identifying the specific series. value 12 10.124 Average price of item. year 4 1990 Identifies year of observation.