Type | String |
Description | Unique identifier for security |
Required | Yes |
Sample | AU0000IFXHB8 |
Rule | Must be at least 3 characters; cannot contains tabs or commas |
A security ID can be made up of any combination of characters, including spaces and punctuation marks. The only restriction on a security ID is that it must be between 3 and 256 characters in length, and cannot include a tab or a comma character, since these are used as column delimiters in the security definition file. Suitable security IDs include CUSIP or SEDOL codes.
Although security IDs can be made up of upper and lower case characters, they are always converted internally to upper case. Therefore CASH00001, Cash00001 cash00001 are all interpreted as CASH00001.
The unique key for security identification is the tuple <Security ID, Effective date>. Therefore, a security ID can appear more than once in a security file, as long as each entry has a different effective date.