Zeilenbasierte

Zeilenbasierte, or line-based, describes data formats, interfaces, or processing that treat input and output as a sequence of lines. Each line is a discrete unit, typically ended by a newline character. The term is used in computing to distinguish simple, streaming text handling from token-based, binary, or hierarchical formats such as JSON or XML.

In text processing, zeilenbasierte approaches read data line by line, enabling streaming processing with relatively small memory footprints. Many command-line tools, scripting languages, and editors operate primarily on lines. Examples include tail, grep, sed, and languages that expose line-oriented input methods, such as Python's readline or C's fgets.

In networking and protocols, line-based communication transmits commands, headers, or messages as lines terminated by a line ending (commonly LF or CRLF). Examples include SMTP, IRC, and the header sections of HTTP. Multi-line fields or data blocks are typically supported via conventions such as line continuations, dot-stuffing, or base64 encoding.

Data formats and logs often employ line-based structures. Log files usually record one event per line, which simplifies tailing and streaming analysis. CSV uses one record per line, while the internal fields are delimited within the line. The main challenge is handling data that contains newline characters or field delimiters themselves.

Design considerations include consistent line endings, character encoding, line length limits, and escaping rules. Line-based systems favor simplicity and incremental processing but can struggle with nested data, multi-line fields, or complex schemas. They remain common for lightweight text interfaces, streaming data, and legacy protocols, even as more expressive formats gain popularity.