Reference data
The agreed lists of permitted values that other data is classified by, such as country codes, currency codes, and order statuses.
Reference data is what a value is validated against. When the list changes, for example when a status is retired, older records can stop matching it.
Where it comes up
- Codes without a lookupA column holds short codes such as 3, A, or XR, and the table that says what each code means is not in the file.
- Categories that changed meaningA label stays the same across the file, but what it covers was redefined partway through.
- Free text in a coded fieldA column meant to hold one of a few fixed values also holds comments, explanations, and whole sentences.
See also
- Lookup tableA table that translates codes into their meanings or one set of values into another, such as state abbreviations to state names.
- Controlled vocabularyA fixed, agreed list of the values a field is allowed to hold, such as the two-letter codes for US states.
- Master dataThe core lists an organization relies on across its systems, such as customers, products, suppliers, and locations.