When using GoFiler to do filings that have series and classes in them, using the library function is a lot faster than manually adding each series and each class one at a time. The GoFiler series/class library also has the ability to look up a single CIK at a time and download the series and class information associated with it from the SEC. But what if you have a large list of CIKs, and want to add all of them to the series and classes library at once? Well, using Legato, we can run a lookup on each CIK in the input list and, with the response, build a library file which we can then import into GoFiler.

Last week, we explored editing SGML properties with Legato. By using some of the Legato SDK functions, we can read the properties of an SGML tag and change those properties to new values. This is pretty simple and straightforward. However, what if we want to do something based on a particular setting? For example, what if we want to employ an “Indent Body of Paragraph” function, where the first line of the paragraph doesn’t move but the subsequent lines are indented? We can’t simply read the indent value and add to it because we cannot guarantee that the same unit of measurement is being used. We need to read the unit, normalize it into a standard unit, add to it, convert it back to the original measurement style, and write it back out. It’s a bit more involved than simply setting properties, but it lets us perform some pretty interesting operations.

In past blog posts, we’ve used Legato to remove HTML tags or to add new ones. One function we haven’t really explored is looking at a tag and changing its properties. Editing CSS properties with Legato is extremely powerful because it lets us change the document’s appearance in clean, interesting, and intelligent ways. This week’s script is a very basic but very powerful example of this concept.

Last week, we covered a script that could take a single folder, search it, and encrypt (or redact) CCCs in project files and XML files. After thinking more about the problem, we realized that the script (while a good start) didn’t go far enough to solve the situation. First, the script only worked with EDGARLink Online XML and GFP files. Any file where the CCC appeared on a different line of the code than the tag declaring it a CCC would not have been obscured. Also, backup files created by GoFiler would not have been obscured. There are several ease of use items that should be addressed as well. The changes made to this newer version are enumerated below:

With the recent news about the SEC data breach, people are looking towards their own internal security practices to ensure they are handling their data responsibly and doing everything possible to prevent their own data breaches. In the financial document preparation and submission industry, one of the most common pieces of private data that is passed back and forth through email is a filer’s CCC. To file a document on behalf of a company, you only need their CIK (which is publicly available) and the CCC (which is not supposed to be publicly available). It follows then that if an unauthorized entity obtains a CCC, they could fraudulently file on a company’s behalf to the SEC. So it’s in your best interest to keep your CCC secret!