computerfriendly

Computerfriendly is an adjective used to describe software, data, interfaces, or systems that are designed primarily for efficient processing by computers rather than for direct human consumption. In practice, computerfriendly components emphasize machine interpretability, with explicit schemas, stable formats, and predictable behavior. The term is often used to contrast with human-friendly or user-friendly design, which prioritizes readability and usability for people.

Typical examples include data formats and APIs that are easy for programs to parse and validate, such as structured JSON or CSV with well-defined fields, XML with schemas, or compact binary formats like Protocol Buffers. These formats aim to minimize ambiguity, improve parsing performance, and facilitate interoperability across systems.

Design considerations for computerfriendly systems include strict typing, clear naming conventions, versioned schemas, deterministic parsing, and robust error reporting. When documenting interfaces or data contracts, developers emphasize machine-readability and consistent behavior to reduce integration errors.

Trade-offs may arise because computerfriendly designs can be less readable to humans without tooling. Effective use often involves layering: machinefriendly formats for communication and human-friendly layers (documentation, human-readable logs) for developers and operators.

See also: machine-readable, human-readable, data format, API, data interchange, JSON, Protocol Buffers, CSV, XML.