Lähdekohde

Lähdekohde is a Finnish term formed from lähde (source) and kohde (target or object). It refers to the origin or starting point of a process, as opposed to the destination or end state. The exact meaning depends on the field, but the core idea is that a lähdekohde is the artefact, data item, or entity that serves as the source for further processing, transformation, or interaction.

In information technology and data processing, a lähdekohde is commonly the input artefact that is consumed to produce something else. For example, in data pipelines, the source dataset or input file that is read to generate a transformed dataset or loaded record can be described as the lähdekohde, while the resulting data is the kohde. In software development, a source code file used to build an application can be viewed as the lähdekohde that yields compiled binaries or other outputs.

The term also appears in documentation and specifications to distinguish the origin of information or materials from their end products. While not as widely used as the separate terms lähde and kohde, lähdekohde helps clarify the direction of data flow or influence in a process, especially in formal descriptions, mappings, and interfaces.

Related concepts include data lineage, source data, and destination (kohde) in data exchange. The exact usage of lähdekohde can vary by discipline, so readers should consider field-specific definitions when encountering the term.