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A term commonly used synonymously with ''data or storage (codes) processing system'' is ''[[Information systems#Types of information systems|information system]]''.<ref name=Ralston>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Computer Science 4th ed.|editor=Anthony Ralston |display-editors=etal |year=2000|publisher=Nature Publishing Group|page=865}}</ref> With regard particularly to [[electronic data processing]], the corresponding concept is referred to as '''electronic data processing system'''.
===Components===
A data processing system may involve some combination of:
* [[Data conversion|Conversion]] converting data to another form or Language.
* [[Data validation|Validation]] – Ensuring that supplied data is "clean, correct and useful."
* [[Sorting]] – "arranging items in some sequence and/or in different sets."
* [[Summary statistic|Summarization]] – reducing detail data to its main points.
* [[Aggregate data|Aggregation]] – combining multiple pieces of data.
* [[Statistical analysis|Analysis]] – the "collection, organization, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.".
* Reporting – list detail or summary data or computed information.
The first machines used for [[data processing]] were [[Unit record equipment|punched card machines]], now [[computer]]s are used.
===Types of data processing systems===
====By application area====
; Scientific data processing
: Scientific data processing "usually involves a great deal of computation (arithmetic and comparison operations) upon a relatively small amount of input data, resulting in a small volume of output."<ref name=Reddy>{{cite book|last=Reddy|first=R.J.|title=Business Data Processing & Computer Applications|year=2004|publisher=A P H Publishing Corporation|___location=New Delhi|isbn=8176486493|page=17|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FLKoXCts9ssC&q=%22scientific+data+processing%22&pg=PA17}}</ref>
; Commercial data processing
: Commercial data processing "involves a large volume of input data, relatively few computational operations, and a large volume of output."<ref name=Reddy /> Accounting programs are the prototypical examples of data processing applications. [[Information systems|Information Systems (IS)]] is the field that studies such organizational computer systems.
=====Data analysis=====
"[[Data analysis]] is a body of methods that help to describe facts, detect patterns, develop explanations, and test hypotheses."<ref>{{cite web|last=Dartmouth College|title=Introduction: What Is Data Analysis?|url=http://www.dartmouth.edu/~mss/data%20analysis/Volume%20I%20pdf%20/006%20Intro%20%28What%20is%20the%20weal.pdf|accessdate=July 5, 2013}}</ref> For example, data analysis might be used to look at sales and customer data to "identify connections between products to allow for cross selling campaigns."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Berthold|first1=M.R.|last2=Borgelt|first2=C|last3=Hőppner|first3=F.|last4=Klawonn|first4=F|title=Guide to Intelligent Data Analysis|year=2010|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-1-84882-260-3|page=15}}</ref>
====By service type====
* [[Transaction processing system]]s
* [[Information retrieval|Information storage and retrieval systems]]
* Command and control systems
* Computing service systems
* Process control system
* Message switching system
===Examples===
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