gridtyp

gridtyp is a small, portable command-line utility designed to analyze and report on the structure of data grids. Its primary function is to inspect the data types and counts of values within each column of a given input file. This is particularly useful for understanding the contents of tabular data files before performing further analysis or transformations.

The tool typically accepts input from standard input or a specified file, supporting common delimited formats such as CSV (comma-separated values) and TSV (tab-separated values). Upon processing, gridtyp provides a summary that outlines the number of unique values and identifies the inferred data type for each column. Common data type inferences include integer, float, boolean, and string. It may also offer information about the presence of missing values.

gridtyp's simplicity and speed make it a valuable addition to data exploration workflows. It allows users to quickly gain insight into the nature of their data without needing to load it into more complex data analysis environments. This rapid assessment helps in identifying potential data quality issues or informing decisions about data cleaning and preparation steps. The utility is often used in scripting and automated data processing pipelines.