Data interchange involves transforming data from a source schema into a different target schema to accurately represent the source data. It is similar to data integration, but involves restructuring data with possible loss of content. There may be multiple ways to transform the data, requiring the determination of the best solution. Often, an interchange format is developed for a specific domain and routines are written to indirectly translate each source schema into each target schema using the interchange format. This approach simplifies the process compared to directly translating each schema individually.
What is Data Interchange?
Data interchange is the process of transforming data structured according to a source schema into a target schema. In other words, it’s the process of reorganizing data during transfer to represent an accurate representation of the source data. It’s often used in conjunction with data integration but is not the same thing.
How does Data Interchange work?
Data interchange works by taking data from one schema and transforming it into another schema. This can result in some content loss. There may be scenarios in which there is no way to transform a data instance if all constraints are met. Conversely, there may be many ways to transform the instance, in which case the “best” solution must be determined and justified.
Why is Data Interchange necessary?
Data interchange is necessary because there may be several dozen different source and target schemas, which are proprietary data formats. To avoid writing and debugging hundreds of different routines, an interchange format is developed for a single domain. This interchange format is then used to translate each individual source schema into each individual target schema using necessary routines (mappings) as an intermediate step. This process involves much less work than writing and debugging hundreds of different routines to directly translate each individual source schema into each individual target schema.
What are some examples of Data Interchange?
One example of data interchange is the exchange of information between different computer systems in different formats. For example, a company using one software platform may need to share data with another company using a different software platform. By using data interchange, both parties can transfer data between their respective systems without needing to convert the data manually. Similarly, data interchange is also used in the healthcare industry to share patient data between different electronic medical record systems.
The opinion
Data interchange is a critical process in modern technology that allows for the seamless transfer of data between different systems and schemas. By using an interchange format to translate between different source and target schemas, companies and organizations can avoid the time-consuming and expensive process of writing and debugging hundreds of different routines to directly translate each individual source schema into each individual target schema.
