Datatyypeille

Datatyypeille is a conceptual framework used in data modeling to describe, validate, and exchange data types and their constraints in a language-agnostic way. It aims to standardize the definition of primitive, composite, and alias types and their rules across systems, facilitating interoperability and data governance.

Core concepts in datatyypeille include primitive types such as integer, floating point, boolean, string, and date/time, as well as composite types like records, lists, and maps. The framework also supports constraints that govern data values, including nullability, default values, range limits, and pattern restrictions. Type aliases and inheritance-like mechanisms allow defining new types derived from existing ones, promoting reuse and consistency across schemas. Schemas are designed to be modular, enabling components to be combined and extended without duplication.

Representations of datatyypeille schemas can vary, with common forms including a YAML-like notation, a JSON-compatible representation, or a compact binary form for runtime validation. The main uses are API contract definitions, data validation at ingestion or transformation stages, database schema translation, and interoperability in data pipelines. The emphasis is on explicit, machine-readable constraints to reduce ambiguity when exchanging data among heterogeneous systems.

A simple datatyypeille example might define a User type with fields such as id (Integer, non-nullable), name (String, maxLength 100), email (String, pattern matching an email), and isActive (Boolean, default true). For instance, a minimal snippet could declare primitive types and a User record with field references to those primitives.

Datatyypeille has emerged from multilingual data governance discussions and is discussed as a conceptual approach rather than a single formal standard, with multiple independent implementations in various projects.

See also: JSON Schema, XML Schema, type systems, data modeling.