Another Word For It Patrick Durusau on Topic Maps and Semantic Diversity

March 27, 2014

CSV on the Web

Filed under: CSV,Data,W3C — Patrick Durusau @ 10:58 am

CSV on the Web Use Cases and Requirements, and Model for Tabular Data and Metadata Published

I swear, that really is the title.

Two recent drafts of interest:

The CSV on the Web: Use Cases and Requirements collects use cases that are at the basis of the work of the Working Group. A large percentage of the data published on the Web is tabular data, commonly published as comma separated values (CSV) files. The Working Group aim to specify technologies that provide greater interoperability for data dependent applications on the Web when working with tabular datasets comprising single or multiple files using CSV, or similar, format. This document lists a first set of use cases compiled by the Working Group that are considered representative of how tabular data is commonly used within data dependent applications. The use cases observe existing common practice undertaken when working with tabular data, often illustrating shortcomings or limitations of existing formats or technologies. This document also provides a first set of requirements derived from these use cases that have been used to guide the specification design.

The Model for Tabular Data and Metadata on the Web outlines a basic data model, or infoset, for tabular data and metadata about that tabular data. The document contains first drafts for various methods of locating metadata: one of the output the Working Group is chartered for is to produce a metadata vocabulary and standard method(s) to find such metadata. It also contains some non-normative information about a best practice syntax for tabular data, for mapping into that data model, to contribute to the standardisation of CSV syntax by IETF (as a possible update of RFC4180).

I guess they mean to use CSV as it exists? What a radical concept. 😉

What next?

Could use an updated specification for the COBOL data format in which many government data sets are published (even now).

That last statement isn’t entirely in jest. There is a lot of COBOL formatted files on government websites in particular.

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