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Why Plain Text?

TDT stores all your engineering data as human-readable YAML files. Here's why that matters for engineering teams.

The Problem with Traditional Tools

Most engineering data management tools lock your information in proprietary databases or cloud services. This creates real problems for engineering teams:

Traditional PLM/QMS Tools

  • Data locked in proprietary formats you can't read
  • Expensive annual licenses that grow with your team
  • Vendor controls your data migration path
  • Complex administration requires IT support
  • Changes tracked in opaque audit logs
  • Difficult to integrate with other systems
  • Offline access limited or unavailable

TDT Plain Text Approach

  • Human-readable YAML files you can open anywhere
  • Free and open source, no per-seat licensing
  • You own your data, export anytime
  • Simple file structure, no admin needed
  • Full git history shows exactly what changed
  • Easy to script, automate, and integrate
  • Works offline, sync when ready

What is YAML?

YAML is a human-friendly data format designed to be easy to read and write. Unlike databases or binary files, you can open and edit YAML files with any text editor. Here's what a requirement looks like in TDT:

requirement.yaml 
id: "01JGGR5XN6JQFT8BHK2VCN5M9A"
short: 1
type: "input"
title: "Operating Temperature Range"
text: "The device shall operate continuously in ambient
       temperatures from -40C to +85C without degradation."
priority: "critical"
status: "approved"
author: "Sarah Chen"
created: "2024-01-15T09:30:00Z"
modified: "2024-01-20T14:22:00Z"

No special software needed to read it. No database queries. No API calls. Just open the file and see exactly what's there.

Benefits for Engineering Teams

True Version Control

Use git to track every change. See exactly what changed, when, and who made the change. Compare any two versions line by line.

Team Collaboration

Multiple engineers can work on different parts simultaneously. Merge changes with standard git workflows your team already knows.

Works Offline

All your data is local files. Work on a plane, at a customer site, or anywhere without internet. Sync when you're back online.

No Lock-In

Your data is yours. Standard YAML means you can write scripts to export, transform, or migrate to any system. No vendor holds your data hostage.

Easy Automation

Write simple scripts to generate reports, check for issues, or integrate with other tools. Standard file formats mean standard tools work.

Complete History

Git provides a complete history of every change. See exactly what changed, when, and by whom. Better traceability than any database log.

How Git Changes Everything

Git is the industry-standard version control system used by software teams worldwide. TDT brings these same powerful capabilities to engineering data:

See Exactly What Changed

When you modify a requirement, git shows you precisely what was different:

git diff 
$ git diff requirements/REQ-001.yaml

 title: "Operating Temperature Range"
-text: "The device shall operate from -20C to +70C"
+text: "The device shall operate from -40C to +85C"
 priority: "critical"
-status: "draft"
+status: "approved"

Track Who Changed What

Git blame shows you the history of every line in a file:

git blame 
$ tdt blame REQ@1

a3f7c21 (Sarah Chen  2024-01-20) title: "Operating Temperature Range"
8b2e4d9 (Jack Smith  2024-01-18) text: "The device shall operate..."
a3f7c21 (Sarah Chen  2024-01-20) priority: "critical"
a3f7c21 (Sarah Chen  2024-01-20) status: "approved"

Create Release Baselines

Tag your data at any point to create immutable baselines for design reviews, regulatory submissions, or releases:

terminal 
$ tdt baseline create v1.0-design-freeze
✓ All files passed validation!
Created baseline: tdt-v1.0-design-freeze

$ tdt baseline compare tdt-v1.0-design-freeze tdt-v2.0-release
Comparing: tdt-v1.0-design-freeze .. tdt-v2.0-release
Added:     REQ@12, TEST@8
Modified:  REQ@3, REQ@7, RISK@2
Summary: 2 added, 3 modified, 0 deleted

You Don't Need to Be a Programmer

TDT is a command-line tool, but that doesn't mean it's only for software developers. The commands are simple and consistent:

common commands 
# Create a new requirement
$ tdt req new --title "Motor Torque" --type input

# List all risks sorted by RPN
$ tdt risk list --by-rpn

# Run tolerance analysis
$ tdt tol analyze TOL@1

# Show requirements verification matrix with coverage
$ tdt trace matrix --rvm

# Validate all files
$ tdt validate

Getting Started is Easy

If you can use a command prompt to navigate folders, you can use TDT. Our step-by-step tutorial walks you through everything from installation to creating your first design review package.

Is TDT Right for Your Team?

TDT is ideal for:

  • Small to medium engineering teams (2-50 people) who want powerful tools without enterprise complexity
  • Hardware startups who need professional documentation without expensive PLM licenses
  • Consulting engineers who work across multiple clients and projects
  • R&D teams who iterate quickly and need flexible, lightweight tools
  • Regulated industries (medical devices, aerospace) who need robust change tracking for compliance

Consider traditional tools if you need:

  • CAD file management and PDM integration (TDT manages metadata, not binary files)
  • Complex approval workflows with role-based permissions
  • Enterprise-wide deployment across hundreds of users
  • Real-time collaboration features (comments, notifications)

Ready to Try Plain Text Engineering?

Get started with TDT in minutes. No signup required, no license keys, just install and go.

Install TDT Read the Tutorial