For a given field ACRONYM (eg: "LAST") can we assume the FID will not change across different dictionaries or across different versions of the same dictionary?
Hi @kelvinyoung048 on Elektron we do not change field acronyms once they have been defined. In fact we do not curretly change any aspect of the field once it has been defined eg type of field, field length etc. So essentially once we create the field (even if we have created the field incorrectly) we do not go back and change anything - its effectively written in stone.
Having said that, we have a set of pre-defined fields within the data dictionary that we have pre-created to ensure that we can react quickly to market events and not have to wait for the next dictionary release to provide clients with that piece of data. These "pre-defined" fields are created in the data dictionary and available to view now. Once we need them we allocate the field internally and assigned to a venue. Upon the next update of the data dictionary we will then change the name/acronym of the predefined fields to something that better represents the content we are trying to publish.
We are also looking at the possibility of changing some of the field attributes and how disruptive that could be to user eg increasing the field length so we don't need to introduce an entirely new field and retire an older one, for example.
I'm not sure of the reason for the question, but we do always encourage users to try to use the field number rather than the name of the field in any coding.