Validate XBRL and iXBRL files in Python

Validate XBRL instance file in Python

XBRL Instances, XBRL Linkbases, and XBRL Taxonomy Schemas MUST comply with the syntax requirements imposed in XBRL specification. To validate these, the XbrlInstance class provides the validate() method.

The following Python code snippet demonstrates how to validate an XBRL instance document.

Validate iXBRL file in Python

The iXBRL specification defines many validation rules. For validating iXBRL files, the InlineXbrlDocument class provides a validate() method.

The following Python code snippet demonstrates validating an iXBRL instance document.

Validation error codes

In the enum ValidationErrorCode, validation error codes are defined for each validation rule. The following are the error code definitions:

  • CONTEXT_PERIOD_NO_START_TIME: Context period type is duration, but has no start date.
  • CONTEXT_PERIOD_NO_END_TIME: Context period type is duration, but has no end date.
  • CONTEXT_PERIOD_START_AFTER_END: Context period type is duration, but the end date is before the start date.
  • CONTEXT_INSTANT_NO_TIME: Context period type is instant, but has no instant date.
  • CONTEXT_SCENARIO_XBRL_NAMESPACE: Context scenario can not have XBRL namespace node.
  • CONTEXT_SCENARIO_XBRL_SUBSTITUTION_GROUP: Context scenario can not have an element in the substitution group for elements defined in the XBRL namespace.
  • CONTEXT_SCENARIO_EMPTY: Context scenario can not be empty.
  • CONTEXT_SEGMENT_XBRL_NAMESPACE: Context segment can not have XBRL namespace node.
  • CONTEXT_SEGMENT_XBRL_SUBSTITUTIONGROUP: Context segment can not have element in the substitution group for elements defined in the XBRL namespace.
  • CONTEXT_SEGMENT_EMPTY: Context segment can not be empty.
  • ITEM_NO_CONTEXT: Item must have a context.
  • ITEM_PEROID_TYPE_CONFLICT_WITH_CONTEXT: Item has period type conflict with context.
  • ITEM_NUMERIC_NO_UNIT: Item is numeric and must have a unit.
  • MONETARY_ITEM_NO_SINGLE_UNIT_MEASURE: Item is a monetary type and must have a single unit measure.
  • MONETARY_ITEM_NO_ISO4217: Item is a monetary type and must have an Iso 4217 style unit measure.
  • SHARE_ITEM_NO_SINGLE_UNIT_MEASURE: Item is a share type and must have a single unit measure.
  • SHARE_ITEM_NO_SHARE_UNIT_MEASURE:  Item is share type and must have an xbrli:shares unit measure.
  • NILL_ITEM_WITH_PRECISION_OR_DECIMALS: Item is nil and must not have either precision or decimals.
  • FRACTION_ITEM_WITH_PRECISION_OR_DECIMALS: Item is a fraction type and must not have either precision or decimals.
  • NUMERIC_ITEM_WITH_BOTH_PRECISION_AND_DECIMALS: Item is a numeric type and must not have both precision and decimals.
  • NUMERIC_ITEM_WITHOUT_PRECISION_OR_DECIMALS: Item is a numeric type and must have either precision or decimals.
  • NON_NUMERIC_ITEM_WITH_PRECISION_OR_DECIMALS: Item is not a numeric type and must not have either precision or decimals.
  • FOOTNOTE_ARC_FROM_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find Footnote arc from Loc.
  • FOOTNOTE_ARC_TO_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find Footnote arc to Footnote.
  • DEFINITION_ARC_FROM_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find Definition arc from Loc.
  • DEFINITION_ARC_TO_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find Definition arc to Loc.
  • ESSENCE_ALIAS_DEFINITION_ARC_DIFFERENT_TYPE: Essence-alias Definition arc has different types.
  • ESSENCE_ALIAS_DEFINITION_ARC_DIFFERENT_PERIOD_TYPE: Essence-alias Definition arc has different periodTypes.
  • ESSENCE_ALIAS_DEFINITION_ARC_DIFFERENT_BALANCE: Essence-alias Definition arc has different balances.
  • CALCULATION_ARC_FROM_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find Calculation arc from Loc.
  • CALCULATION_ARC_TO_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find Calculation arc to Loc.
  • LABEL_ARC_FROM_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find Lable arc from Loc.
  • LABEL_ARC_TO_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find Lable arc to Loc.
  • PRESENTATION_ARC_FROM_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find a Presentation arc from Loc.
  • PRESENTATION_ARC_TO_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find a Presentation arc to Loc.
  • REFERENCE_ARC_FROM_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find a Reference arc from Loc.
  • REFERENCE_ARC_TO_NOT_FOUND: Unable to find a Reference arc to Loc.

Example of standard validation error message

todo:image_alt_text

Above is an XBRL instance, it defines context “cd1”, this context period type is duration, it’s start date is 2002-03-31, the end date is 2001-03-31, so the end date is before than start date. In XBRL specification, chapter 4.7.2, it defines validation rule: “the endDate MUST specify or imply a point in time that is later than the specified or implied point in time of the corresponding startDate”. According to this rule, this XBRL instance is not a valid one.

Validate XBRL and output standard error message

The following code validates the XBRL instance and outputs the standard error message.

The following image shows the output:

todo:image_alt_text

Convert XBRL to Excel and iXBRL in Python