A data structure is a specialized format for organizing, processing, retrieving and storing data. There are several basic and advanced types of data structures, all designed to arrange data to suit a specific purpose. Data structures make it easy for users to access and work with the data they need in appropriate ways. Most importantly, data structures frame the organization of information so that machines and humans can better understand it. Show
In computer science and computer programming, a data structure may be selected or designed to store data for the purpose of using it with various algorithms. In some cases, the algorithm's basic operations are tightly coupled to the data structure's design. Each data structure contains information about the data values, relationships between the data and -- in some cases -- functions that can be applied to the data. For instance, in an object-oriented programming language, the data structure and its associated methods are bound together as part of a class definition. In non-object-oriented languages, there may be functions defined to work with the data structure, but they are not technically part of the data structure. Why are data structures important?Typical base data types, such as integers or floating-point values, that are available in most computer programming languages are generally insufficient to capture the logical intent for data processing and use. Yet applications that ingest, manipulate and produce information must understand how data should be organized to simplify processing. Data structures bring together the data elements in a logical way and facilitate the effective use, persistence and sharing of data. They provide a formal model that describes the way the data elements are organized. Data structures are the building blocks for more sophisticated applications. They are designed by composing data elements into a logical unit representing an abstract data type that has relevance to the algorithm or application. An example of an abstract data type is a "customer name" that is composed of the character strings for "first name," "middle name" and "last name." It is not only important to use data structures, but it is also important to choose the proper data structure for each task. Choosing an ill-suited data structure could result in slow runtimes or unresponsive code. Five factors to consider when picking a data structure include the following:
How are data structures used?In general, data structures are used to implement the physical forms of abstract data types. Data structures are a crucial part of designing efficient software. They also play a critical role in algorithm design and how those algorithms are used within computer programs. Early programming languages -- such as Fortran, C and C++ -- enabled programmers to define their own data structures. Today, many programming languages include an extensive collection of built-in data structures to organize code and information. For example, Python lists and dictionaries, and JavaScript arrays and objects are common coding structures used for storing and retrieving information. Software engineers use algorithms that are tightly coupled with the data structures -- such as lists, queues and mappings from one set of values to another. This approach can be fused in a variety of applications, including managing collections of records in a relational database and creating an index of those records using a data structure called a binary tree. Some examples of how data structures are used include the following:
Characteristics of data structuresData structures are often classified by their characteristics. The following three characteristics are examples:
Data typesIf data structures are the building blocks of algorithms and computer programs, the primitive -- or base -- data types are the building blocks of data structures. The typical base data types include the following:
Types of data structuresThe data structure type used in a particular situation is determined by the type of operations that will be required or the kinds of algorithms that will be applied. The various data structure types include the following:
These are considered complex data structures as they can store large amounts of interconnected data. How to choose a data structureWhen choosing a data structure for a program or application, developers should consider the answers to the following three questions:
Some real-world examples include:
This was last updated in March 2021 Continue Reading About data structures
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Which of the following is a computer memory location whose value does not change during run time?A constant is a data item whose value cannot change during the program's execution.
When a value is converted from one data type to another data type that can store larger numbers the value is said to be ____?After declaring a named constant, you can refer to that constant using its name later in the program. When a value is converted from one data type to another data type that can store larger numbers, that value is said to be demoted.
Which of the following is a data type in C Plus Plus?C++ Fundamental Data Types. When a variable's name contains two or more words most C++ programmers enter the name using what type of notation?Many programmers prefer to use all lowercase letters for their variable names. If the name requires two words (for example, my car), two popular conventions are used: my_car or myCar. The latter form is called camel notation because the capitalization looks something like a camel's hump.
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