yearpair

Yearpair is a data labeling convention used to denote a two-year span or to compare data across two calendar years. It is typically represented as an ordered pair (Y1, Y2), where Y1 is the first year and Y2 is the second year. The convention is used in contexts where a precise two-year interval is needed in datasets, reports, or historical analyses, such as schooling, fiscal planning, climate records, and sports statistics. A yearpair can indicate a continuous interval spanning the years Y1 and Y2 (for example, 2019 and 2020 representing the 2019–2020 academic year), or it can be used for cross-year comparison, such as measuring a metric in year Y1 and year Y2.

In data design, yearpairs are commonly stored as two separate integer fields or as a single textual key "YYYY-YYYY". Each approach has trade-offs: two fields enforce numerical operations and constraints more easily, while a formatted string is human-readable and convenient for labeling in user interfaces. When designing a schema, it is important to define the intended meaning of the second year (whether it marks the end of a two-year window, the following calendar year, or a comparative year) and to document any constraints (for example, that Y2 should be Y1 or Y1+1, depending on convention).

Limitations include ambiguity about the exact interval, especially if the convention for Y2 is not uniformly defined across datasets. Yearpair is a flexible construct used for clarity in labeling time-bound data without relying on a single calendar year.