formatinformation

Formatinformation is a term used in computing to describe metadata that defines how to interpret data. It encompasses information that accompanies a data stream, file, or protocol to indicate encoding schemes, versioning, structure, or other parameters necessary for correct decoding, rendering, or processing. The exact meaning of format information varies by domain, but it generally supports interoperability by allowing different systems to agree on how data should be handled.

A prominent example is format information in QR codes. In QR codes, the format information is a dedicated 15-bit field that encodes the error correction level and the mask pattern applied to the symbol. The bits are encoded with a BCH error-correction code to tolerate scanning errors and are stored in two locations within the symbol to assist orientation and detection. A fixed masking pattern is applied to the format information itself to improve robustness against certain printing and scanning conditions.

Beyond QR codes, format information appears in many contexts as metadata that describes data encoding and layout. In multimedia container formats, headers or boxes convey information such as codec type, sample rate, bit depth, and channel count, enabling players and editors to interpret the content correctly. In network protocols and data streams, format information helps parsers recognize data types and structures, so that payloads can be decoded and validated. Software libraries often expose format information through metadata fields or descriptor objects to support data exchange, conversion, and quality control.