Blank delimited, tab delimited

Refers to data (usually in a text file) where columns are separated by a blank space (blank delimited) or by a tab (tab delimited). , like this:

These are both common methods for recording data outside of Minitab, and both have advantages.

Blank delimited data can be significantly more compact. But because all items are separated by just a single space, columns can appear misaligned if all data don't contain the same number of digits, as in the example above. Tab delimited data, while taking up more space, can be easier to read because it orients separate items according to tabs, allowing columns to maintain alignment, as in the example above.

Minitab's Session window output is an example of blank delimited data. If you use Copy/Paste to copy this or any other blank delimited data into the Data window you will be prompted to specify how the blank spaces should be interpreted.