Address and Requesting a New Session

The first step in starting a HEScore transaction is to call the submit_address API call.

Address

The building address is found in HPXML under the Building/Site/Address element. The sub elements there easily translate into the expected address format for HEScore.

<HPXML>
   ...
   <Building>
      <Site>
         <SiteID id="id1"/>
         <Address>
            <Address1>123 Main St.</Address1>
            <Address2></Address2>
            <CityMunicipality>Anywhere</CityMunicipality>
            <StateCode>CA</StateCode>
            <ZipCode>90000</ZipCode>
         </Address>
      </Site>
   </Building>
</HPXML>

HPXML allows for two lines of address elements. If both are used, the lines will be concatenated with a space between for submission to the HEScore building_address.address field. All of the HPXML elements shown in the above code snippet are required with the exception of Address2. Additionally, if a zip plus 4 code is entered in HPXML, it will be trimmed to just the 5 digit zip code before being passed to HEScore.

Assessment Type

To begin a HEScore session an assessment type must be selected. The assessment type is determined from HPXML via the XMLTransactionHeaderInformation/Transaction and Building/ProjectStatus/EventType element using the following mapping:

Assessment Type mapping
XML Transaction Type HPXML Event Type HEScore Assessment Type
create audit initial
proposed workscope alternative
approved workscope alternative
construction-period testing/daily test out test
job completion testing/final inspection final
quality assurance/monitoring qa
preconstruction preconstruction
update any corrected

Mentor Assessment Type

In v2015 HEScore introduced a new assessment type called “mentor”. It is used for new assessors in training when an assessment is supervised by a more qualified assessor. There is no equivalent way to communicate this scenario in HPXML. To work around this issue, the translator will look for a specifically named element in the extension of Building/ProjectStatus:

<ProjectStatus>
    <EventType>audit</EventType>
    <Date>2014-12-18</Date>
    <extension>
        <HEScoreMentorAssessment/>
    </extension>
</ProjectStatus>

Upon finding this HEScoreMentorAssessment element, the HEScore assessment type will be set to “mentor” regardless of the mapping above.

External Building ID

The value of Building/extension/HESExternalID or Building/BuildingID/SendingSystemIdentifierValue, if present, is copied into the building_address.external_building_id field in HEScore. Preference is given to the extension element if both are present. This is optional, but may be useful for those wanting to pass an additional building identifier for their own tracking purposes.