A semantic type is a category that classifies the meaning or role of a concept, entity, or data field within a specific context. Semantic types are displayed for the associated fields in the Data Integrity Suite. Rather than focusing on structure or syntax, semantic types group items based on what they represent or signify. Semantic types are determined by their associated semantic type qualifiers. Semantic type qualifiers are standardized codes or identifiers that classify data fields according to their semantic meaning and purpose. They provide a machine readable way to identify what real world data a field represents.
| Semantic type name | Semantic type qualifier | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email Address | Identifies a string as an email address. Represents valid, commonly used real-world email values. | user@example.com | |
| Telephone Number (Generic) | TELEPHONE | Identifies a string as a phone number. Represents valid, commonly used real-world phone values. | +1 415 555 9823 |
| Country As A String (English) | COUNTRY.TEXT_EN | Identifies a string as a country code in English. Represents valid, commonly used real-world country codes. | US |
| Social Security Number (US) | SSN | Identifies a string as a US Social Security Number. Represents valid, commonly used real-world SSN values. | 123-45-6789 |
| Postal Code (US) | POSTAL_CODE.ZIP5_US | Identifies a string as a US postal code. Represents valid, commonly used real-world postal code values. | 94105 |
| Street Address | STREET_ADDRESS2_EN | Identifies a string as a postal address in English. Represents valid, commonly used real-world address values. | 221B Baker Street, London |
| First Name | NAME.FIRST | Identifies a string as a first name. Represents valid, commonly used real-world first name values. | Michael |
| Last Name | NAME.LAST | Identifies a string as a last name. Represents valid, commonly used real-world last name values. | Thompson |
| Merged Name (Last, First) | NAME.LAST_FIRST | Identifies a string as a name combining both first and last names. Represents valid, commonly used real-world name values. | Michael Thompson |
| City/Town | CITY | Identifies a string as the name of a city. Represents valid, commonly used real-world city values. | San Francisco |
| US State Code | STATE_PROVINCE.STATE_US | Identifies a string as the name of a US state. Represents valid, commonly used real-world state values. | California |
For more information, see Assign a semantic type to a field.