Assertion Severity 2.0 finalised, allowing dynamic XBRL validation
The XBRL Board of Directors has approved the promotion of the Assertion Severity 2.0 specification to Recommendation status, offering XBRL users valuable flexibility in applying data quality rules.
The Assertion Severity specification is an optional modular addition to the XBRL Standard, providing extra capabilities within XBRL Formula. Validation rules are used to detect possible quality issues or inconsistencies in XBRL reports. Assertion Severity allows rule authors to classify these rules according to their severity, and whether they should generate an Error, Warning or Information result when the rule is not met. This categorisation enables rules to be applied appropriately within a given reporting context, with regulators often using severity to determine whether a filing should be accepted or rejected.
Version 2.0 of the specification adds the ability for a rule’s severity to be determined dynamically, enabling further, more flexible customisation of the validation process to the context. For example, an error-level rule – one that would normally be considered of high importance and cause a filing to be rejected – may be downgraded to a warning in particular situations where it is considered non-essential, or vice versa. This means that rules that would otherwise have to be duplicated can now be reused with differing severity in different circumstances, making it easier to maintain quality rules and ensure consistency.
Recommendation status is the final stage of the standards development process, indicating that the specification is considered stable and ready for widespread implantation. It will not be modified further, although of course updated versions may be developed in due course.
Read more here.
