Handle "NULL" value on SA/SB aggregate data page

[hcaofec]

Summary

In order to use AWS DMS to sync data, the NULL value in several columns across schedule A and schedule B aggregate tables has been changed. Where the aggregate item is null previously, It is replaced with a literal value 'NULL' (or ' ' in the case of state since it is a varchar(2) column) now.

Review and possible change need to be done to make sure this backend change is handled correctly in CMS.

Reference backend ticket: #5110

What we're after:
When calling the below endpoints, make sure the literal value "NULL" is handled correctly.

/schedules/schedule_a/by_employer/
https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/by_employer/?sort_null_only=false&employer=NULL&per_page=20&sort_hide_null=false&api_key=DEMO_KEY&page=1&sort_nulls_last=false

/schedules/schedule_a/by_occupation/
https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/by_occupation/?sort_null_only=false&per_page=20&sort_hide_null=false&occupation=NULL&api_key=DEMO_KEY&page=1&sort_nulls_last=false

/schedules/schedule_a/by_zip/
https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/by_zip/?sort_null_only=false&per_page=20&sort_hide_null=false&api_key=DEMO_KEY&zip=NULL&page=1&sort_nulls_last=false

/schedules/schedule_b/by_recipient/
https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_b/by_recipient/?sort_null_only=false&recipient_name=NULL&per_page=20&sort_hide_null=false&api_key=DEMO_KEY&page=1&sort_nulls_last=false

https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00213512/?tab=raising

https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00103861/?tab=spending

Completion criteria

• "NULL" value is handled.

[JonellaCulmer]

@hcaofec @patphongs Recommendation for NULL language replacement: "Not reported"

[patphongs]

@JonellaCulmer @PaulClark2 While pairing with @hcaofec, we found out that the filters that were modified here are free text fields. So a filer could potentially put anything. Therefore, we see variations of "Not Reported", "Not Reportable", etc in the database. Updating the null values here to be labeled as "Not Reported" will further conflate the two different things. So I'm not exactly sure what to call nulls now. Thoughts?

[patphongs]

Here's two examples that @hcaofec found of committees that have scenarios of NOT REPORTED, N/A, and NULL.

https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00393843/?cycle=2004&tab=raising

"cmte_id"	"cycle"	"employer"	"total"
"C00393843"	2004	"NOT REPORTED"	$762.00
"C00393843"	2004	"N/A"	$250.00
"C00393843"	2004	"NULL"	$3,750.00

https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00493825/?tab=raising&cycle=2016

"cmte_id"	"cycle"	"employer"	"total"
"C00493825"	2016	"NOT REPORTED"	$3,000.00
"C00493825"	2016	"N/A"	$310,120.01
"C00493825"	2016	"NULL"	$202,467.38

[patphongs]

@JonellaCulmer @PaulClark2 I have shifted this over to 18.2 so we can figure out how to label nulls

[patphongs]

@JonellaCulmer @PaulClark2 As a follow-up to our conversation today, I'm going to suggest that we replace the string "NULL" with the word "(blank)" in parentheses. My thinking is that forms are less likely to have blank with parentheses in their forms.

@hcaofec Could you also search our data to see if there's any instances in which someone has actually inserted the text "(blank)" in our data? If there isn't any, I feel like this would be a good replacement on the front end.

[hcaofec]

There are some rows with "blank" in the tables, only few with "(blank)".
@patphongs @JonellaCulmer

For employer:

[hcaofec]

For occupation:

[patphongs]

Thank you @hcaofec for doing the look up for us.

@JonellaCulmer @PaulClark2 I have made a PR in to update the text for NULL. Right now it's being rendered as (BLANK), but I could change it to whatever you think may be best.

[patphongs]

After discussing with @bmathesonFEC and @JonellaCulmer, we decided to make the text more specific: "(COMMITTEE DID NOT PROVIDE AN [COLUMN_NAME])". This has been implemented in the PR and ready for review. cc @PaulClark2

[PaulClark2]

Sounds good. Thank you all for your work on this.