gaeb-online: Differences between the GAEB formats

With the introduction of GAEB DA XML – currently version 3.3 – electronic data exchange via GAEB XML is becoming ever more important for all partners involved in construction. This page briefly outlines the differences between the common GAEB formats.

Details on the differences between individual GAEB files – for example the difference between DA82 and DA83 or the difference between DA81 and DA83 – can be found on the What is a GAEB file? page.

While the GAEB 90 format was line-oriented, GAEB 2000 and GAEB DA XML use keywords. Because of this fundamentally different design, trying to describe the differences between the GAEB file formats is an almost impossible task.

In principle, this shouldn't matter to you as a user – what matters is that GAEB-Online 2025 can work with the different GAEB file formats through the GAEB interface. So that you can still see the differences, this page shows how a simple item is represented in GAEB 90, GAEB 2000 and GAEB DA XML.

Item on paper

First, let's look at a simple item as you would read it on a printed sheet.

The item has a single-line short text, a long text, a quantity of 100.00 and a unit of m³.

Item as a GAEB 90 file

Here is the example of how the same item is represented electronically in the GAEB 90 file format.

In the GAEB 90 format our item is still fairly readable. The short text always begins with the number 25 at the start of the line.

Item as a GAEB 2000 file

Now the example of how the same item is represented electronically in the GAEB 2000 file format.

In the GAEB 2000 format our item can still be recognised. Notably, there is no line-based layout as in GAEB 90, and elements such as the short text begin with the keyword [Kurztext].

Item as a GAEB DA XML file

And finally, the example of how the same item is represented electronically in the GAEB DA XML file format.

In the GAEB DA XML format it is very difficult for the human eye to recognise our item. Here too there are keywords for the individual elements; the short text begins with the keyword < TextOutlTxt >. To avoid confusion, this example omits any formatting of the long text such as colours, bold, italic, etc.

Formatted text and images

GAEB 2000 and GAEB DA XML can also carry formatting in long texts (colours, bold, italic, bullet lists, tables, ...). Graphics or images can likewise be transferred with the long text. This is not possible in GAEB 90.

Further differences between the GAEB formats

Beyond the visual differences there are also general differences between the GAEB formats. They are shown in the following table.

Element	GAEB DA XML	GAEB 2000	GAEB 90
Item-number length	14 characters	14 characters	9 characters
Long-text lines	unlimited	unlimited	999 lines
Formatted long text	Yes	Yes	No
Graphics in long text	Yes	Yes	No
Tables in text	Yes	Yes	No
Price components	6	6	4
Hierarchy levels	5	5	4

The table clearly shows that GAEB DA XML can carry considerably more information. Formatting and tables in the long text, and sketches and images in the long text, make descriptions much easier for bidders to read and understand. This often helps remove ambiguity – and that inevitably also influences prices.

GAEB file formats and file extensions

Which GAEB files are there? The table below lists the GAEB exchange phases and formats supported by our solution GAEB-Online 2025.

Data exchange	GAEB DA XML	GAEB 2000	GAEB 90
Universal BoQ data	X80	-	-
Description of services	X81	P81	D81
Cost estimate	X82	P82	D82
Request for bids	X83	P83	D83
Bid submission	X84	P84	D84
Alternative bid	X85	P85	D85
Order placement	X86	P86	D86

You'll find further information on XML here...