Problem

Your organization is looking to transition to a newer version of one of the CDISC foundational standards. How can the CDISC Library assist with this process?

Discussion

From a change management perspective, one of the first steps is to take an inventory of the differences between your current version and the target version. This inventory can be used to formulate a transition plan. Depending on your infrastructure or computing environment, this plan will help you identify potential impacts on macros, programs, or software. The diff file serves as an ideal tool for this inventory.

For instance, if you're transitioning from SDTMIG v3.2 to v3.4, begin by reviewing any new or deprecated domains or variables. Afterward, examine a list of modifications. The diff file will indicate whether changes are minor or major. You can then use this information to determine the impacts for your organization.

This framework is applicable for CDISC Controlled Terminology, as well as any other supported foundational standards.

Diff File Access

Data Standards Browser

The Data Standards Browser includes a menu option to download a diff file, as shown below. This feature assumes you are comparing with the immediately preceding version. For instance, if you are looking at SDTMIG v3.4, it will compare it to SDTMIG v3.3.

CDISC Library API

You can also retrieve the Diff file through the CDISC Library API. Below are some example API requests using cURL. Visit Diff and Getting Started: Access to CDISC Library API using API Key Authentication for detail technical documentation.

Fictitious API keys are used in these example code snippets. Substitute them the keys assigned to you, which are accessible via the API Management Developer Portal at https://api.developer.library.cdisc.org.

PurposecURL Command
Generate a diff file between SDTMIG v3.4 to v3.2 in Excel format.

curl -O -J "https://library.cdisc.org/api/mdr/diff/sdtmig/3-4/3-2"
-H "Accept: application/vnd.ms-excel"
-H "api-key: abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789"

Generate a diff file between SDTM CT Q3 2023 and its immediate predecessor, which is SDTM CT Q2 2023.curl -O -J "https://library.cdisc.org/api/mdr/diff/ct/sdtmct-2023-09-29"
-H "Accept: application/vnd.ms-excel"
-H "api-key: abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789"

Example Diff Files