# Module Documentation: eml-dataTable | Back to EML Contents

### The eml-dataTable module - Logical information about data table entities

The eml-dataTable module is used to describe the logical characteristics of each tabular set of information in a dataset. A series of comma-separated text files may be considered a dataset, and each file would subsequently be considered a dataTable entity within the dataset. Since the eml-dataTable module extends the eml-entity module, it uses all of the common entity elements to describe the table, along with a few elements specific to just data table entities. The eml-dataTable module allows for the description of each attribute (column/field/variable) within the data table through the use of the eml-attribute module. Likewise, there are fields used to describe the physical distribution of the data table, its overall coverage, the methodology used in creating the data, and other logical structure information such as its orientation, case sensitivity, etc.

## Module details

Recommended Usage: | The EML dataTable Module is used to document datasets with one or more data tables.
Stand-alone: | yes
Imports: | eml-documentation, eml-resource, eml-entity, eml-attribute, eml-constraint
Imported By: |
View an image of the schema: | eml-dataTable image

## Element Definitions:
#### dataTable | This element has no default value.
Content of this field: | Description of this field:
Type: DataTableType
| The dataTable element is a descriptor of one entity in the dataset identified by its name. This element can contain information about the dataTable's orientation, number of records, case sensitivity, and temporal, geographic and taxonomic coverage. Because the dataTable element refers to the complex type 'DataTableType', it must contain all the elements defined for the type. description for DataTableType to review component element rules.
#### attributeList | This element has no default value.
Content of this field: | Description of this field:
Type: att:AttributeListType
| The list of attributes associated with this entity. For more information see the eml-attribute module.
#### constraint | This element has no default value.
Content of this field: | Description of this field:
Type: con:ConstraintType
| Description of any relational constraints on ' this entity. For more information see the eml-constraint module.
#### caseSensitive | This element has no default value.
Content of this field: | Description of this field:
| The caseSensitive element specifies text case sensitivity of the data in the dataTable. The valid values are yes or no. If it is set to yes, then values of attributes that differ only in case (e.g., LOW, low) represent distinct values. If set to no, then values of attributes that differ only in case represent the same value. Example(s): yes no
Derived from: xs:string (by xs:restriction) Allowed values: yes no
#### numberOfRecords | This element has no default value.
Content of this field: | Description of this field:
Type: res:NonEmptyStringType
| The numberOfRecords element contains a count of the number of records in the dataTable. This is typically an integer value, and only includes records that represent observations. It would not include any details of physical formatting such as the number of header lines (see eml-physical for that information). Example(s): 975
## Attribute Definitions:
#### id
Type: res:IDType Use: optional
#### system
Type: res:SystemType Use: optional
#### scope
Type: res:ScopeType Use: optional Default value: document
## Complex Type Definitions:
#### DataTableType |
Content of this field: | Description of this field:
Elements: | Use: | How many:
A choice of (
A sequence of (
ent:EntityGroup |  |
attributeList | required |
constraint | optional | unbounded
caseSensitive | optional |
numberOfRecords | optional |
)
OR
res:ReferencesGroup |  |
)
Attributes: | Use: | Default Value:
id | optional
system | optional
scope | optional | document
## Simple Type Definitions:
## Group Definitions:

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