Mainelement

Mainelement is a generic term used in information architecture and software design to denote the central or primary element of a system, dataset, or interface. It acts as the focal point around which related components are organized and from which others derive their meaning or function.

In web development, the related concept is the main element, embodied in HTML by the main tag. The mainelement in this context is the semantic container that holds the dominant page content and excludes repeated site components such as headers, footers, and navigation. This structure aids accessibility and document navigation by signaling the principal content region to assistive technologies and search engines.

In software architecture and data structures, a mainelement often refers to the core data structure, module, or service that determines the primary behavior of the system. Peripheral elements—such as utilities, adapters, or ancillary data—support the mainelement and enable scalability, maintainability, and extensibility.

Usage notes: The term is informal and context-dependent; clarity comes from defining what is meant by centrality in a given project. When documenting, it is helpful to explicitly identify the mainelement and describe its interfaces and relationships to other components. See also main content, landmark, HTML5, system design.