tsvdb

TSVDB refers to a simple, tab-separated values database—a lightweight, text-based data store that uses TSV files to store table data. In this approach, data is organized into tables with a header row that defines column names, and each subsequent line represents a record with fields separated by tab characters. The plaintext nature of TSV makes TSVDBs highly portable and easy to inspect with standard text tools.

Typical use cases include quick prototyping, data exchange, and small-scale datasets in scripting workflows where a full relational database system would be overly complex. Access patterns range from straightforward file reads and writes to CRUD operations provided by a library or command-line tool. Some implementations offer basic querying capabilities and optional indexing on selected columns to speed up lookups.

Limitations and trade-offs are notable. TSVDBs generally lack enforced data types and constraints, have limited or no transactional guarantees, and may be vulnerable to data corruption under concurrent writes. Performance depends on dataset size and indexing; without indexes, queries may require full-table scans. They are not suited for large-scale, multi-user applications or complex transactional workloads.

Relation to other data formats: TSVDBs sit between simple TSV/CSV files and more feature-rich database systems. They trade advanced features for simplicity, readability, and ease of use in lightweight or offline environments. While not a canonical standard, the concept appears in multiple independent tools and libraries under the TSVDB label or as a general approach to using TSV as a basic data store.

See also: tab-separated values, CSV, SQLite, lightweight databases.