tabelldata

Tabelldata is a term used to describe a structured, schema-driven representation of tabular data intended for storage, interchange, and processing across software tools. It emphasizes explicit typing and metadata alongside the data values, enabling consistent interpretation by different systems.

Typically a tabelldata document consists of a schema that defines column names, data types, and optional constraints, followed by a data section containing rows. Data types commonly supported include integers, floating-point numbers, strings, booleans, dates and times, and enumerations. Nullability and default values may be declared in the schema.

Encoding and storage are implementation dependent; the specification allows both human-readable and compact binary forms. Some implementations favor row-oriented encoding for transactional workloads, others favor columnar layouts for analytics. Validation utilities use the schema to enforce type checking and constraints before data is accepted by the system.

Applications include data export and import between tools, ETL pipelines, reporting, and analytics dashboards. Because tabelldata aims to be interoperable, converters exist to map to CSV, JSON, Parquet, or relational table representations, making it possible to integrate with existing data ecosystems.

Origin and status: The term tabelldata appears in several open-source and industry discussions as a concept rather than a single standardized format. There is no universal specification; instead, multiple projects describe their own tabelldata-like formats. The concept remains a niche approach to tabular data interchange, complementing established formats such as CSV and Parquet.