Datenteil

Datenteil is a German term used in computing to denote the portion of data that stores actual values, distinguishing it from code, headers, or metadata. The term appears in several domains, including memory layout, executable formats, and data transmission, where it is often synonymous with data segment or data section.

In memory and executables, the datenteil refers to the part of a program’s address space that contains initialized global and static variables. During compilation and linking this data is placed in the data segment, commonly labeled .data in many formats. This contrasts with the code segment (the executable instructions) and with the BSS segment for uninitialized data. Some platforms also separate read-only data into separate segments.

In networking and file formats, the datenteil can denote the payload—the portion of a frame or file that carries the user information, as opposed to headers, trailers, or metadata.

Usage varies by domain and language, and some sources use terms such as Datensegment or Datenabschnitt. In German-language technical literature, Datenteil is generally understood as the data portion of a structure, file, or memory region. See also data segment, payload, header, code segment, and BSS.