typestructured

Typestructured is a term used in software engineering to describe approaches, languages, or data models in which type information and structural definitions are tightly coupled. It is not a formal standard term, and its exact meaning can vary by context, but it typically emphasizes type safety and explicit data structure.

In programming, type-structured data refers to values whose shape is determined by explicit types or schemas. Objects or records are defined with named fields and corresponding types, and operations must respect these types. This enables compile-time checks and safer serialization, a hallmark of languages with strong type systems and expressive data abstractions. Languages such as Haskell, Rust, TypeScript, and Swift illustrate this approach, with both structural and nominal typing possible within a type-structured design.

In data interchange and storage, a type-structured approach is realized through schemas that describe the expected data types and shapes. SQL databases enforce column types; JSON Schema, Avro, and Protocol Buffers define structured formats for encoding and validating data. Type-structured formats aid validation, versioning, and tooling such as code generation and integrated development environment support.

Benefits of type-structured design include earlier error detection, clearer data contracts, and better interoperability between components. Limitations involve schema evolution and versioning challenges, as well as potential rigidity that can complicate changes over time.

See also: type system, algebraic data type, schema, JSON Schema, Protocol Buffers, type-safe programming.