Otsikkorivin

Otsikkorivi is Finnish for the header row in a data table. It refers to the row that contains the names of the columns, such as Name, Date, or Amount, and serves to identify the data found in each column. The term is most commonly used in contexts involving spreadsheets, databases, and other tabular data formats. The possessive form otsikkorivin means “of the header row.”

In practical use, the otsikkorivi is typically the first row of a table or data file. In spreadsheets like Excel or Google Sheets, it is often formatted differently and provides the labels used for sorting, filtering, and data validation. For accessibility, header labels help screen readers convey the meaning of each column to users who rely on assistive technology. In data interchange formats, such as CSV or TSV files, the first line is usually the otsikkorivi, enabling software to map each subsequent value to the correct field.

In web and database contexts, the concept remains the same: the header row defines the schema of the data. In HTML, for example, column headings are marked up with header cells (th) within a table head (thead), while in SQL and data modeling, the column names correspond to the fields described by the otsikkorivi.

Best practices for otsikkorivi include using concise, unique labels, avoiding ambiguity, and ensuring consistency across related tables to facilitate data integration and processing.