cardinal init

Initialize a settings file for configuring Cardinal commands

The init command writes a default settings file for configuration. This settings file is used by the prepare and indicators commands to customize their behavior.

Command Syntax

cardinal init [OPTIONS] <FILE>

Arguments

FILE · string · required

The path to the settings file to write. Use - to write to standard output.

Options

--force · boolean · default: "false"

Overwrite the settings file if it already exists. Use -f as a shorthand.

--verbose · flag

Increase verbosity. Use -v as a shorthand. Can be repeated for more verbosity.

Usage Examples

Write to file

cardinal init settings.ini

Example Output

When writing to a file:

Settings written to settings.ini.

When previewing with -, the command outputs the default settings file content:

; currency = USD
; no_price_comparison_procurement_methods = Random Selection
; price_comparison_procurement_methods = Reverse Auction

[output]
; info_currency_mismatches = true

; `prepare` command
;
; Read the documentation at:
; https://cardinal.readthedocs.io/en/latest/cli/prepare.html

[defaults]
; currency = USD
; item_classification_scheme = UNSPSC
; bid_status = valid
; award_status = active
; party_roles = true

[redactions]
; amount = 0
; organization_id = placeholder

[corrections]
; award_status_by_contract_status = true

[modifications]
; move_auctions = true
; prefix_buyer_or_procuring_entity_id = DO-UC-
; prefix_tenderer_or_supplier_id = DO-RPE-
; split_procurement_method_details = -

[codelists.bid_status]
; qualified = valid

[codelists.award_status]
; Active = active

; `indicators` command
;
; Read the documentation at:
; https://cardinal.readthedocs.io/en/latest/cli/indicators/

[exclusions]
; procurement_method_details = Random Selection

[R003]
; threshold = 15
; procurement_methods = open|selective|limited

[R003.procurement_method_details]
; emergency = 10
; international = 25

[R018]
; procurement_methods = open|selective

[R024]
; threshold = 0.05

[R025]
; percentile = 75
; threshold = 0.05

[R028]

[R030]

[R035]
; threshold = 1

[R036]

[R038]
; threshold = 0.5
; minimum_submitted_bids = 2
; minimum_contracting_processes = 2

[R048]
; digits = 2
; threshold = 10
; minimum_contracting_processes = 20

[R058]
; threshold = 0.5

Settings File Structure

The generated settings file is in INI format with:

• Global settings: Currency and procurement method configurations
• [defaults]: Default values for missing fields (used by prepare)
• [redactions]: Values to redact from the data (used by prepare)
• [corrections]: Data correction rules (used by prepare)
• [modifications]: Data transformation rules (used by prepare)
• [codelists.*]: Code remapping for standardization (used by prepare)
• [exclusions]: Global exclusion rules (used by indicators)
• Indicator sections (e.g., [R003], [R024]): Configuration for specific indicators

All configuration values in the default file are commented out. Uncomment and modify the values you need for your data.

Common Workflow

1. Initialize settings file

   Create a settings file to configure Cardinal’s behavior:

   cardinal init settings.ini
   
2. Preview default settings

   View the default configuration before editing:

   cardinal init -
   
3. Customize settings

   Edit settings.ini to uncomment and modify settings for your specific data.

4. Use with other commands

   Pass the settings file to prepare or indicators commands:

   cardinal prepare --settings settings.ini --output out.jsonl --errors errors.csv input.jsonl
   cardinal indicators --settings settings.ini prepared.jsonl > results.json
   

Next Steps

Prepare Command

Learn how to use settings to correct quality issues in your data

Indicators Command

Configure and calculate procurement indicators