# Semicolon-Separated Values

Key: `container.array.semicolon_separated`

List separated by semicolon: value1;value2;value3. Common in European CSV exports (where comma is decimal separator).

Page: <https://meridian.online/docs/projects/finetype/types/container/array/semicolon_separated>

Samples: `apple;banana;cherry`, `1,5;2,3;4,7`

## Background

### Origin

FineType defines semicolon-separated values as a type of its own, labelled container.array.semicolon\_separated, in its container domain.[[1]](https://github.com/meridian-online/finetype/blob/main/labels/definitions_container.yaml) FineType's registry describes the type as a list separated by semicolons, written value1;value2;value3.[[1]](https://github.com/meridian-online/finetype/blob/main/labels/definitions_container.yaml)

Raymond Chen's Old New Thing post says Microsoft Outlook uses a semicolon to separate multiple recipients by default.[[2]](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20150119-00/?p=44883) Raymond Chen's post explains that businesses complained that a comma separator caused havoc because their address books set names as Last, First.[[2]](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20150119-00/?p=44883) Raymond Chen's post says the Outlook team tried to change the default in 2000, but the outcry from corporations made them go back to the semicolon.[[2]](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20150119-00/?p=44883)

### Use

In the GFF3 genome annotation format, multiple tag=value pairs in the attributes column are separated by semicolons.[[3]](https://github.com/The-Sequence-Ontology/Specifications/blob/master/gff3.md) The GFF3 specification has multiple values for one attribute separated by commas, as in Parent=AF2312,AB2812,abc-3.[[3]](https://github.com/The-Sequence-Ontology/Specifications/blob/master/gff3.md) The VCF specification defines the ID column as a semicolon-separated list of unique identifiers.[[4]](https://samtools.github.io/hts-specs/VCFv4.5.pdf) The VCF specification defines the INFO column as a semicolon-separated series of additional information fields.[[4]](https://samtools.github.io/hts-specs/VCFv4.5.pdf) The VCF specification uses a semicolon-separated list of codes in the FILTER column for filters that a site fails.[[4]](https://samtools.github.io/hts-specs/VCFv4.5.pdf)

### Where you'll meet it

Ensembl's README for its yeast GFF3 downloads says its gene annotation is provided in GFF3 format, as specified by the Sequence Ontology.[[5]](https://ftp.ensembl.org/pub/current_gff3/saccharomyces_cerevisiae/README)

## Sources

1. [finetype/labels/definitions\_container.yaml at main · meridian-online/finetype · GitHub](https://github.com/meridian-online/finetype/blob/main/labels/definitions_container.yaml) — FineType
2. [Why does Outlook use a semicolon to separate multiple recipients by default?](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20150119-00/?p=44883) — secondary source
3. [Specifications/gff3.md at master · The-Sequence-Ontology/Specifications · GitHub](https://github.com/The-Sequence-Ontology/Specifications/blob/master/gff3.md) — standard
4. [The Variant Call Format Specification](https://samtools.github.io/hts-specs/VCFv4.5.pdf) — standard
5. [README](https://ftp.ensembl.org/pub/current_gff3/saccharomyces_cerevisiae/README) — organisation