As i see it 002

Data

Data (singular: datum) refer to a collection of natural phenomena descriptors including the results of experience, observation or experiment, or a set of premises. This may consist of numbers, words, or images, particularly as measurements or observations of a set of variables.

Data Type

In programming languages a data type is an attribute of a datum which tells the computer (and the programmer) something about the kind of datum it is. This involves setting constraints on the datum, such as what values it can take and what operations may be performed upon it. Common data types may include: integers, floating-point numbers (decimals), and alphanumeric strings. For example, in the Java programming language, the "int" type represents the set of 32-bit integers ranging in value from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647, as well as the operations that can be performed on integers, such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication. Colors, on the other hand, are represented by three bytes denoting the amounts each of red, green, and blue, and one string representing that color's name; allowable operations include addition and subtraction, but not multiplication.

In a broad sense, a data type defines a set of values, and the allowable operations on those values[1]. Almost all programming languages explicitly include the notion of data type, though different languages may use different terminology. Most programming languages also allow the programmer to define additional data types, usually by combining multiple elements of other types and defining the valid operations of the new data type. For example, a programmer might create a new data type named "Person" that specifies that data interpreted as Person would include a name and a date of birth.

A data type can also be thought of as a constraint placed upon the interpretation of data in a type system, describing representation, interpretation and structure of values or objects stored in computer memory. The type system uses data type information to check correctness of computer programs that access or manipulate the data.

Data Structure

In computer science, a data structure is a way of storing data in a computer so that it can be used efficiently. Often a carefully chosen data structure will allow the most efficient algorithm to be used. The choice of the data structure often begins from the choice of an abstract data type. A well-designed data structure allows a variety of critical operations to be performed, using as few resources, both execution time and memory space, as possible. Data structures are implemented by a programming language as data types and the references and operations they provide.

Different kinds of data structures are suited to different kinds of applications, and some are highly specialized to certain tasks. For example, B-trees are particularly well-suited for implementation of databases, while networks of machines rely on routing tables to function.