catalog
A catalog is a list or book of items for sale, or a systematic list of anything at all. People browse catalogs to shop, or they keep a catalog of their books, records, or other collections. The word feels organized and browsable.
What a model may hear
- database schema registry data engineering, Apache Iceberg, Hive
- assume the user wants to query or manage a named container of tables and schemas, not a list of products
- library metadata system library science, MARC standards
- treat the request as about bibliographic records, subject headings, or classification systems
- Kubernetes package index cloud-native tooling, Helm
- look for a chart repository or operator bundle to install software
- astronomical object database astronomy, VizieR, SIMBAD
- search for star catalogs, galaxy surveys, or orbital element files
Where people and models part ways
“show me the catalog”
Meant: show me your products for sale
May be taken as: return database table listings or Kubernetes charts
Say instead: “show me your product catalog or list of items for sale”
“add it to the catalog”
Meant: put this item in my collection list
May be taken as: modify a database schema or register a new data source
Say instead: “add this item to my personal list or collection”
“search the catalog”
Meant: search your store inventory
May be taken as: query a metadata registry or astronomical database
Say instead: “search your store's product listings”
Tips
- say 'product catalog' or 'store catalog' when you mean items for sale
- say 'my catalog' or 'personal catalog' when you mean your own collection
- say 'database catalog' or 'schema catalog' when you mean the technical thing
- avoid 'catalog' alone if you are not in a shopping or collecting context
- if you mean a library system, say 'library catalog' explicitly
Often confused with
- directory
- emphasizes location or contact info, not items for browsing
- registry
- official record, often for licenses or births, more formal
- inventory
- counts what is on hand, not what is offered for sale
- index
- points to where things are, does not describe them
- repository
- storage place, often for code or data, not for shopping
- archive
- preserved historical records, not current offerings