labelveld

Labelveld, literally “label field,” is a term used in data management and interface design to describe a dedicated data field that stores a label or tag used to identify, describe, or categorize an item, record, or user interface element. In databases and forms, the labelveld is typically intended for human readers and is often distinct from the value field that holds the actual data. The label may be a display name, a category label, a tag, or any descriptive string used in the presentation layer.

It can be textual or generated from a controlled vocabulary. In practice, labelvelden appear in content management systems, product catalogs, metadata schemas, and form builders. A labelveld can be free text or constrained by a predefined list to ensure consistency, support filtering, and enable localization. When used with taxonomy, the label is the human-facing representation of a coded or semantic value.

Localization and accessibility considerations are common: the label may be translated for different locales while the underlying value remains stable; labels should be accessible to assistive technologies and consistent with other UI labels. In data modeling terms, the labelveld is often paired with a corresponding value field, identifier, or key, which is used in logic, storage, and retrieval.

Design considerations include deciding whether the label is stored as a separate field or generated from the value, applying length and character constraints, validating input, and aligning with a controlled vocabulary. Proper governance of labelfields helps maintain clean taxonomies, enables reliable search and filtering, and improves user experience.

See also: label, field, taxonomy, metadata, data schema.