recorddefined

Recorddefined is a term used in computer science to denote that a data record is complete with respect to its declared fields. In theoretical discussions and in some programming contexts, a record r is said to be recorddefined if every field defined by its type has an associated defined value, rather than an undefined placeholder.

In formal terms, recorddefined(r) holds when for every field f of r’s type, the value of f is defined. In languages that use option or maybe types, this often corresponds to all fields being present as concrete values (for example, all fields being Some(...)) or the absence of any undefined placeholder. The concept is closely tied to definedness and totality in type theory and formal methods.

Applications of the notion include data validation, serialization, and query processing, where subsequent operations on records assume the presence of all required fields. For instance, a Person record with fields name, birthdate, and email is recorddefined only if name, birthdate, and email are all defined.

Recorddefined is related to broader notions of definedness and totality and contrasts with partial records or records that contain optional fields which may be undefined. It is commonly discussed in formal methods, type theory, and data modeling literature to reason about the guarantees provided by data structures and validation routines.