Introduction

The Foundational DQ Data Format Rule ensures that data adheres to predefined formats, such as date formats, phone numbers, or email structures. This rule helps maintain consistency and prevents data entry errors that can lead to integration issues and failed validations.

For example, if Social Security Numbers (SSN) should follow the pattern XXXX-XXX-XXX, any deviation would be flagged as an error.

For further information about the rule detail page including scope, threshold, notifications, etc., please see the detailed article Rule Detail page.

Use Cases & When to Apply It

The rule is particularly useful when:

Validating email addresses, phone numbers, dates, and other structured data.
Ensuring standardization across datasets before data integration.
Avoiding processing errors due to incorrect formatting.
Maintaining compliance with regulatory or business standards

How to Configure the Rule

Step 1: Access Data Dictionary

Log in to DvSum and navigate to:
Data Dictionary → Select the relevant Data Source and Table Name

Data Quality → Choose Available Rules.

Step 2: Create a New Rule

Click "⊕ Add Rule".
Select the "Foundational DQ" category.
Choose "DATA FORMAT".

Step 3: Basic Input

In the Rule Wizard's Basic Input section, you need to fill in the Rule Description, Column Name, Pattern, and Filter condition corresponding to the table in which you want to search for Data Format records.

Step 4: Configure Validation Conditions

Define the expected format using a valid regular expression. The actual regex syntax supported depends on the underlying database technology connected to DvSum.

Here are some commonly used patterns:

Email → ^[\w\.-]+@[\w\.-]+\.\w{2,}$
Matches example@domain.com
Phone Number → ^$\d{3}$\s\d{3}-\d{4}$
Matches (123) 456-7890
Date (YYYY-MM-DD) → ^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$
Matches 2025-07-02
Postal Code (ZIP) → ^\d{5}(-\d{4})?$
Matches 12345 or 12345-6789

Note: Since regex is evaluated at the database level, pattern support may vary by database (e.g., Snowflake, PostgreSQL). Always validate patterns against your specific data source.

Step 5: Save & Run the Rule

Click "Save Rule".
Click "Run" to execute and test the rule.

Foundational DQ - Data Format Rule