Data (computer science): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:12, 6 March 2024

Revision as of 21:52, 21 April 2024

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{{short description|Quantities, characters, or symbols on which operations are performed by a computer}}

{{other uses|Data (disambiguation)|Datum (disambiguation)}}

{{broader|Data}}

[[File:Data types - en.svg|thumb|Various types of data which can be visualized through a computer device]]

In [[computer science]], '''data''' (treated as singular, plural, or as a [[mass noun]]) is any sequence of one or more [[symbol]]ssymbols; '''datum''' is a single symbol of data. Data requires [[Interpretation (logic)|interpretation]] to become [[information]]. [[Digital data]] is data that is represented using the [[binary number]] system of ones (1) and zeros (0), instead of [[analog signal|analog]] representation. In modern (post-1960) computer systems, all data is digital.

Data exists in three states: [[data at rest]], [[data in transit]] and [[data in use]]. Data within a computer, in most cases, [[Parallel communication|moves as parallel data]]. Data moving to or from a computer, in most cases, [[Serial communication|moves as serial data]]. Data sourced from an analog device, such as a temperature sensor, may be converted to digital using an [[analog-to-digital converter]]. Data representing [[Quantity|quantities]], characters, or symbols on which operations are performed by a [[computer]] are [[Data storage|stored]] and [[Record (computer science)|recorded]] on [[magnetic tape data storage|magnetic]], [[optical storage|optical]], electronic, or mechanical recording media, and [[Data communication|transmitted]] in the form of digital electrical or optical signals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/data|title=Data|work=Lexico|access-date=14 January 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623094330/https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/data |archive-date=2019-06-23 }}</ref> Data pass in and out of computers via [[peripheral|peripheral devices]].

Physical [[computer memory]] elements consist of an address and a byte/word of data storage. Digital data are often stored in [[Relational database#RDBMS|relational databases]], like [[table (database)|tables]] or SQL databases, and can generally be represented as abstract key/value pairs. Data can be organized in many different types of [[data structure]]sstructures, including arrays, [[Graph (abstract data type)|graphs]], and [[Object (computer science)|objects]]. Data structures can store data of many different [[data type|types]], including [[Floating-point arithmetic|numbers]], [[string (computer science)|strings]] and even other [[Recursive data type|data structures]].

==Characteristics==