# Empty data set with data types associated with them

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/empty-data-set-with-data-types-associated-with-them/36120>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** ignition79\
**Created:** [June 27, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/empty-data-set-with-data-types-associated-with-them/36120 "2020-06-27T18:13:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jdsince1986](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@jdsince1986](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jdsince1986)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/empty-data-set-with-data-types-associated-with-them/36120/1 "2020-06-27T18:13:43Z")

</div>

Wanted to check if there is a way to create empty data set with data types associated with them, something like below

```auto
emptyDS = system.dataset.toDataSet([('col1', Double),('col2', String),('col3', Date)], [])

```

I am trying to compare templates data set (modifiable by users) with table data set and when a date field is cleared (making that field None) the template data set shows that field type as String while table data set still shows as Date.

FYI, I am using below API to easily compare the data changes

```auto
def isDataChanged(tableDataset, templateDataset):
   from com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.util import DatasetTestUtils
   return DatasetTestUtils.equals(tableDataset, templateDataset)

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kyle\_Chase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kyle\_Chase](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kyle_Chase)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/empty-data-set-with-data-types-associated-with-them/36120/2 "2020-06-27T18:50:42Z")

</div>

```auto
from com.inductiveautomation.ignition.common.util import DatasetBuilder
from java.lang import String,Double
from java.util import Date
emptyDS = DatasetBuilder.newBuilder().colNames("col1", "col2", "col3").colTypes(Double, String, Date).build()

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jdsince1986](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@jdsince1986](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jdsince1986)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/empty-data-set-with-data-types-associated-with-them/36120/3 "2020-06-28T01:40:28Z")

</div>

Thanks Kyle, will give it a try