Data (computer science)

In <a href="/facts/Computer_science/lN3pEyPz">computer science</a>, data (treated as singular, plural, or as a <a href="/facts/Mass_noun/Vor8JWmL">mass noun</a>) is any sequence of one or more <a href="/facts/Symbol/GS8mTn0h">symbols</a>; datum is a single symbol of data. Data requires <a href="/facts/Interpretation_(logic)/goPmjjQG">interpretation</a> to become <a href="/facts/Information/3LdrzXtJ">information</a>. <a href="/facts/Digital_data/JChckAvr">Digital data</a> is data that is represented using the <a href="/facts/Binary_number/a6JDSRPs">binary number</a> system of ones (1) and zeros (0), instead of <a href="/facts/Analog_signal/xDbb4uB5">analog</a> representation. In modern (post-1960) computer systems, all data is digital. 
Data exists in three states: <a href="/facts/Data_at_rest/H1DF7h8a">data at rest</a>, <a href="/facts/Data_in_transit/8f1ztg6C">data in transit</a> and <a href="/facts/Data_in_use/Xu6cPl7m">data in use</a>. Data within a computer, in most cases, <a href="/facts/Parallel_communication/9quqJd8G">moves as parallel data</a>. Data moving to or from a computer, in most cases, <a href="/facts/Serial_communication/r5xP7P1c">moves as serial data</a>. Data sourced from an analog device, such as a temperature sensor, may be converted to digital using an <a href="/facts/Analog-to-digital_converter/8YYNsMFg">analog-to-digital converter</a>. Data representing <a href="/facts/Quantity/E2jCKetq">quantities</a>, characters, or symbols on which operations are performed by a <a href="/facts/Computer/SQe1aK05">computer</a> are <a href="/facts/Data_storage/uCvJ6nrq">stored</a> and <a href="/facts/Record_(computer_science)/1fvSgenB">recorded</a> on <a href="/facts/Magnetic_tape_data_storage/qJUpJnk9">magnetic</a>, <a href="/facts/Optical_storage/D2rM4VkH">optical</a>, electronic, or mechanical recording media, and <a href="/facts/Data_communication/1yAhaANd">transmitted</a> in the form of digital electrical or optical signals. Data pass in and out of computers via <a href="/facts/Peripheral/3lEBPE14">peripheral devices</a>.
Physical <a href="/facts/Computer_memory/hQKVQ51J">computer memory</a> elements consist of an address and a byte/word of data storage. Digital data are often stored in <a href="/facts/Relational_database/pEKGmJLy">relational databases</a>, like <a href="/facts/Table_(database)/5INvK1Vd">tables</a> or SQL databases, and can generally be represented as abstract key/value pairs. Data can be organized in many different types of <a href="/facts/Data_structure/yNsNvL1I">data structures</a>, including arrays, <a href="/facts/Graph_(abstract_data_type)/b8qcddXa">graphs</a>, and <a href="/facts/Object_(computer_science)/eX99dtAw">objects</a>. Data structures can store data of many different <a href="/facts/Data_type/fcx5hgVL">types</a>, including <a href="/facts/Floating-point_arithmetic/eIckahxe">numbers</a>, <a href="/facts/String_(computer_science)/4ChJu5WS">strings</a> and even other <a href="/facts/Recursive_data_type/fzBvEl6A">data structures</a>.

Data (computer science) open-in-new

Data (computer science)