overview glossary

Glossary

This glossary defines the terms used across CSV Align docs and source code. Most terms map directly to types in src/data/types.rs, src/backend/requests.rs, and frontend/src/types/api.ts.

Term	Meaning	Source
File A / File B	The two CSV inputs being compared. `FileSide` serializes as `a` or `b`.	`src/data/types.rs`
Session	In-memory workspace for loaded files, mappings, results, and selected config.	`src/backend/session.rs`, `src/backend/store.rs`
Row key	One or more columns used to align rows between File A and File B.	`src/backend/requests.rs`, `src/comparison/rows.rs`
Comparison columns	Paired columns whose values are compared after rows are aligned.	`src/data/types.rs`, `frontend/src/components/MappingConfig.tsx`
Column mapping	A File A to File B pair with `exact`, `manual`, or `fuzzy` provenance.	`src/data/types.rs`, `src/presentation/responses.rs`
Auto-pair	Frontend helper that keeps selected row keys first and fills confident comparison-column pairs.	`frontend/src/features/mapping/autoPair.ts`
Virtual header	A JSON object path exposed as a selectable column, such as `payload.id`.	`src/data/json_fields.rs`
Flexible row-key matching	Opt-in key matching that supports wildcard-like `**` patterns and shared-token candidates.	`src/comparison/rows.rs`, `src/comparison/engine.rs`
Null token	Configured value treated as missing before key or value comparison.	`src/data/types.rs`, `src/comparison/value_compare.rs`
Pair-order file	Versioned JSON text file that stores selected row keys and comparison-column order for a current CSV shape.	`src/backend/pair_order.rs`
Comparison snapshot	Versioned JSON file that stores completed results, summary, mappings, normalization, and file metadata.	`src/backend/comparison_snapshot.rs`, `src/backend/persistence/v1/mod.rs`
Read-only snapshot mode	Frontend mode after loading a snapshot. Users can inspect/export results but must reset before editing mappings.	`frontend/src/hooks/useComparisonWorkflow.reducer.ts`
Transport parity	Requirement that browser HTTP routes and desktop Tauri invokes expose the same app operations.	`src/api/app.rs`, `src-tauri/src/main.rs`, `frontend/src/services/tauri.ts`