Meta Data

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October 03
Status: 5 tokens - Active

What is meta data?

2 Answers:

Lifeisgood avatar

Metadata is data that describes other data. It provides information about the characteristics of data, such as the date it was created, the author, the file format, and the file size, among other details.

Metadata is often used to organize and manage large amounts of data, making it easier to search, sort, and retrieve specific information. It can also be used to track changes to the data, as well as for security and privacy purposes.

There are different types of metadata, such as descriptive metadata, which provides information about the content, structure, and context of the data, and administrative metadata, which provides information about how the data is managed and maintained.

Some examples of metadata include:

Document properties, such as the author, date created, and file size of a word processing document.

Exif data, which contains information about the settings and technical details of a photo taken with a digital camera.

ID3 tags, which contain information about a music file such as the title, artist, album, and genre.

HTML meta tags contain information about a web page, such as the title, keywords, and description for search engine optimization.

Metadata plays an important role in organizing, managing, and retrieving large amounts of data. Some of the key roles of metadata include:

Data discovery and retrieval - Metadata can be used to describe the characteristics of data, making it easier to search, sort, and retrieve specific information.

Data management - Metadata can be used to track changes to data, such as the date it was created, modified, or deleted, as well as the person responsible for those changes.

Data security and privacy - Metadata can be used to control access to data, ensuring that only authorized users are able to view or modify it.

Data preservation - Metadata can be used to document the context, content, and structure of data, making it easier to preserve and maintain it over time.

Data integration - Metadata can be used to link and connect different data sources, making it easier to integrate and share data across different systems and platforms.

Data analysis - Metadata can be used to provide information about data, such as the format, size, and structure, which can be useful for data analysis and reporting.

Overall, metadata plays a crucial role in making data more discoverable, accessible, and understandable, and it enables organizations to leverage their data in ways that were not possible before.

EPra avatar

Metadata is a description of the data. For example, there is a table that has 2 columns. The first column is "Name" and the second is "Salary". The metadata for the table will include descriptions or restrictions on the data values allowed for the two columns. For example, the metadata for data in the first column is alphanumeric and can be up to 20 characters long (only the first 20 characters will be stored). Secondly, the metadata for the data in the second column is to be between 500 and 100,000 (salary 0 or minus is not possible, maximum salary is assumed to be 100,000 and minimum 500). Typically, the metadata is stored in the "headers" of the associated table or file.

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