---
title: "Categorical Parsers"
slug: "categorical-parsers"
updated: 2022-12-12T22:28:11Z
published: 2022-12-12T22:28:11Z
canonical: "code.tag.bio/categorical-parsers"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.tag.bio/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Categorical Parsers

The `categorical` **parser** type is the most commonly utilized **parser** across all Data Products.

In most cases, it is intended to load data from a single column in a source data table into a single **collection** of `categorical` **variables**.

```
{
  "parser_type": "categorical",
  "column": "cccc",
  "variable_prefix": "(test) ",
  "variable_suffix": " (test)",
  "collection": "collection_name"
}
```

It's worth noting that `categorical` **parsers** typically do not use a *variable* attribute, as the categorical **variable** names are generated from the values in the source data column.

## variable_prefix

**usage: *optional*** The `variable_prefix` attribute automatically adds a prefix to the name of every generated variable. This can be a constant string, an inner parser object, or a file reference to an inner parser object.

## variable_suffix

**usage: *optional*** The `variable_suffix` attribute automatically adds a suffix to the name of every generated variable. This can be a constant string, an inner parser object, or a file reference to an inner parser object.