# File Comparison ## Introduction Generate version 5.3, released in early 2023, introduced a new utility to allow states to compare an ED*Facts* file produced by the state’s legacy process (“Legacy File”) to an ED*Facts* file produced by Generate (“Generate File”) to determine if the ETL used to populate Generate accurately migrated all data needed for the ED*Facts* report. The Submission File Comparison Utility is not available in the Generate user interface – it can only be used withing SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). This document provides instructions for using the utility. ## Submission File Comparison Utility Overview The Generate Submission File Comparison Utility (“Comparison Utility”) provides tools to load legacy ED*Facts* files into SQL tables, then compares the Generate versions of those same files to the legacy file to identify differences. The basic steps for comparing a legacy file to a Generate file are to: 1. Load the legacy file into a SQL table 2. Run a Generate migration for the same file 3. Depending on the file specification (noted in this document), you may need to create an actual Generate ED*Facts* file, preferably in Tab-delimited format, and load it into a SQL table. 4. Run the comparison utility 5. Review the results of the comparison 6. Resolve issues and repeat steps 2-5 as needed until satisfied with the comparison ### Office Hour Demonstration {% embed url="" %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://center-for-the-integration-of-id.gitbook.io/generate-documentation/developer-guides/generate-utilities/file-comparison.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.