> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://outerbase.gitbook.io/untitled/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://outerbase.gitbook.io/untitled/introspection/universal-data-language.md). # Universal data language ## What is a Universal Data Language? When it comes to data and ensuring everyone who touches it at all levels in a company or project are saying the same things can be difficult. A primary goal at Outerbase is to help define a universal data language by using your database as a source of truth for nomenclature. For large enterprises and messy data this may sound frightening, but core features such as our Data Catalog can help clean it up. Just as it is important for the database maintainer to try to reason about relationships of objects before creating them as tables, similar conversations are had at the business level and the entire rest of the data stack when it comes to implementing them for end users. 1. How *does* a user and a session correlate? 2. When do we consider a user "activated" or "churned"? Above are just a few examples on how we reason about both direct relationships, and business relationships. Both "activated" and "churn" are probably only known on the business level by the product team so that information often doesn't proliferate down to others – which means there isn't truly a universal data language. How about "session". What is a session? What does a session consist of? How long does a session last? What can terminate a session event? Knowing all of this information is a requirement for both a database engineer and a backend developer perhaps. But shouldn't we aim for everyone to talk with the same words and meanings? Of course. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://outerbase.gitbook.io/untitled/introspection/universal-data-language.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.