Linking a variant to a codelist

A variant is a modified variation of a codelist for another purpose. For example, there may be fewer or more codes in the variant than in the parent codelist that it is a variant for. Examples of variants are Local Authorities of Greater Helsinki (variant for the codelist Local Authorities 2018) and Five year groups on unemployment benefit (variant for 1 year groups on unemployment benefit) In practice, the variant is therefore a relationship between the parent codelist and the variant codelist.

A variant codelist is created in the same way as any other codelist. It can be

• created manually
• imported as a file
• exported as a codelist, modified in the desired way, for example, in Excel, and imported back to the software as a new codelist.

When the codelist to be linked as a variant is in the software, it can be linked to the parent codelist.

Almost any codelist can be linked as a variant to another codelist (except for different versions of the same codelist). To link a variant, open the information page of the parent codelist and select “Attach variant to code list” from the Choose action menu. A view then opens in which you can find the desired code list and select it by clicking its name. The variant is shown on a tab of its own on the data card of the parent code list.

Correspondingly, the parent codelist is shown on the variant’s data card.

To remove a linked variant, click the checkmark after the name of the variant. The function removes the link between two code lists and both code lists remain independent code lists in the Reference Data tool.