Description of Data Representation - SS3 ICT Lesson Note

Data can be represented in various ways, depending on the type of data and its context. Here are some common methods of data representation:

 

Numeric Representation: Numbers can be represented in various numerical systems, such as binary (base-2), decimal (base-10), hexadecimal (base-16), or octal (base-8). For example, the decimal number 7 is represented as 0111 in binary, 7 in decimal, 7 in octal, and 7 in hexadecimal.

 

Character Representation: Textual data, including letters, numbers, and symbols, is typically represented using character encoding schemes like ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) or Unicode. ASCII, for instance, assigns a unique numerical value to each character, allowing computers to store and process text.

 

Image Representation: Images are often represented as arrays of pixels, where each pixel's color and intensity are represented using binary values. Common image formats like JPEG and PNG use compression techniques to represent images efficiently while maintaining quality.

 

Audio and Video Representation: Sound and video data are represented through formats like MP3, WAV, or MP4, which employ encoding methods to compress and store audio and video signals effectively.

 

Data Structures: Data structures like arrays, lists, and trees are used to organize and represent data in memory for efficient access and manipulation.

 

File Formats: Data is often stored in specific file formats designed for various purposes. For example, spreadsheets can be stored in formats like XLSX, and documents can be in DOCX, each with its data representation rules.