Module No.

and Title : Module 1 Types and Components of Computer

Systems
Lesson No. and Title : C5- Data types
L1- Types of data
L2- Data structures
L3- Databases
L4- Analogue and digital data

Learning Outcomes:
In this chapter you will learn about:
● types of data – Boolean, text, alphanumeric, numeric and date
● data structures – files, records, fields and primary keys
● relational databases – tables, primary keys and foreign keys
● analogue data – the need for analogue to digital convertors (ADC)
● digital data – the need for digital to analogue convertors (DAC)

Introduction:

Hello my dear students! Welcome to Chapter 5, Data can exist in many

forms, and so there are various defined types of data that computers use. All the data
that is stored on computers is digital, but lots of types of data in the real world
involve physical measurements of continuously varying data. These need to be
converted into digital data for storage and manipulation on a computer.

Data frequently needs to be stored in a logical sequence to allow access

and/or searching to be done at some later stage. One of the most common methods of
data storage is the use of databases. Keep Fighting! And Enjoy Learning!

Activity:

● What are the data types and give an example of each.

Analysis:

● What is a data structure create a sample of it (don’t copy the sample in

this module)

Abstraction:
5.1 TYPE OF DATA
 There are several data types found in most computer systems:

● logical/Boolean
● alphanumeric/text
● numeric
● date

5.1.1 Logical/Boolean data

Boolean data (or logic data type) can have only two values: true or false.
This works if there are only two possible responses to a question or situation, i.e.
(Yes or No), (True or False) or (1 or 0).

This is made most use of when carrying out a search in a database or on the
internet. In these cases, logical operators are used which are based on true (i.e.
binary 1) or false (i.e. binary 0) logic.

5.1.1.1 The AND operator

Consider the list of seven students in Table 5.1.

Suppose we now make the search: (Sex = Male) AND (Height (m) > 1.6)
Table 5.2 shows the logic status for each part of the search query. There is only one
match where the search condition is true for (Sex = Male) AND true for (Height (m)
> 1.6): name B.
 Note that the logic operator called AND looks for the situation where
something is true in both groups. For example, consider two groups X and Y where
X = {1, 2, 3, 4} and Y = {3, 4, 5, 6}. The statement X AND Y would be equal to {3,
4} since it is true that 3 and 4 are the only items which are common (i.e. true) to both
groups (see Table 5.3).

In the student database only example B contains items which are true
(common) to both groups (i.e Male and 1.7m).

5.1.2 The OR operator

Now consider a different search: (Sex = Female) OR (Height (m) < 1.6) This gives
the logic status shown in Table 5.4. There are five matches where the search
condition is true for (Sex = Female) OR true for (Height (m) < 1.6): names C, D, E,
F and G.
 Note that the logic operator called OR looks for the situation where
something is true in either group. For example, consider two groups X and Y where
X = {1, 2, 3, 4} and Y = {3, 4, 5, 6}. The statement X OR Y would be equal to {1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6} since it is true that all six numbers occur in either group (see Table 5.5).

In the student database example, C, D, E, F and G contain items which are

true in either group.

5.1.2 Alphanumeric and text data

Looking at a standard keyboard, you see the letters A to Z, the digits 0 to 9

and other characters such as : @ & £ ) } etc. The letters A to Z are referred to as text
and the letters A to Z plus the digits 0 to 9 are referred to as alphanumeric (some
definitions also include the remaining keyboard characters such as @ & £ ) } as part
of the alphanumeric character set).

For example, the password ‘MARQUES’ contains letters only and is therefore
text. However, the password ‘MIKE62’ contains letters and numbers and is therefore
alphanumeric. A person’s name would always be text but their address, which could
contain letters and numbers, would be alphanumeric.
5.1.3 Numeric data

Numeric data can be in two forms: integer (whole numbers) or real

(containing decimals). For example, 3416 is an integer, but 34.16 is real. Examples of
integers include the number of floors in a hotel, the number of students in a class or
the number of wheels on a car. Examples of real numbers include temperatures, price
of an item in a shop or a person’s height in metres. Numeric data also includes zero
(0) and negative numbers such as – 4516 (integer) or – 30.26 (real).

5.1.4 Date data

Date can be written in many forms, for example:

● dd/mm/yyyy (dd = day, mm = month and yy/yyyy = year), e.g. 19/08/2009

● dd/mm/yy, e.g. 19/08/09
● dd.mm.yy, e.g. 19.08.09
● yyyy-mm-dd, e.g. 2009-08-19

All of the above examples use a number form of the month, but it can also be written
as the full word or the three-letter abbreviation:

● dd mmmm yyyy, e.g. 19 August 2009

● dd-mmm-yyyy, e.g. 19-Aug-2009.

5.2 DATA STRUCTURES

Data is often stored in files, which

consist of records, which in turn consist of
fields, as illustrated in Figure 5.1.
For example, a company may have set
up a file to include information about their
employees in the following format:
reference number/name/date started/department

Figure 5.2 shows a possible structure for the file COMPANY EMPLOYEE
FILE. The information is held in one file with five records and four fields per record.
In this example, the first field (the reference number) is known as the key field or
primary key. Each primary key is unique and is used to locate a record in a file
during a search operation.
Also note the data types for each field:

reference number numeric data (integer)

name text
date date format (dd/mm/yyyy)
department text

In reality, COMPANY EMPLOYEE FILE would be much larger, containing

all the records for all the company’s employees. This type of file is often referred to
as a flat file structure.

5.3 DATABASES

A database is a collection of information which is structured in some way to

permit manipulation and searching of data.

Why are databases used?

● They promote data consistency. When data is updated on a database it is up to

date for any application which uses the database.
● Data duplication is reduced to a minimum since only one copy of each data
item needs to be kept.
● It is relatively easy to expand the database if some new application is being
considered.
● Security of data is easier to monitor and
maintain. Data access can be controlled by
database front ends; the actual database will
be ‘invisible’ to all users except the database
administrator (see Figure 5.3)

Early databases were examples of flat file

structures, as described in Section 5.3 and
illustrated by the COMPANY EMPLOYEE FILE. The way the data is organized
makes it difficult to search for a specific piece of information or to create reports
which only contain certain information (fields) from each of the records.

Relational databases

Relational databases were first introduced in 1970 following the work of F. F.

Codd, a researcher at IBM.

RELATIONAL DATABASES consist of a number of separate tables which

are related (a table is made up of rows and columns in much the same way as a
spreadsheet is structured). Each table contains a primary (key) field that is also a field
in at least one other table. It is possible to combine data from different tables to
produce a report which only contains the required information.

Relational databases do not need to repeat data, which is one of the problems
of flat file structure (in the example that follows, three flat files would be needed
containing repeated fields of key data since there would be no links connecting each
file). Information is stored in separate tables only connected by the primary (key)
field. Other advantages of relational databases include:

● faster data retrieval (because of links between tables)

● easy expansion of the database by adding extra data or new tables
● the need to change data in only one table – all other references to this data
will then also be up to date, resulting in what is known as data integrity.

Tables can also contain foreign keys that relate tables in the database to one
another. A FOREIGN KEY in one table is a primary key in another. We will now
look at an example that shows the structure of tables in a relational database. In this
example, there are three connected tables. It is important to note that in commercial
databases there will be several tables connected together. The examples shown here
contain only two or three and are being used to show the principle of relational
databases.

Example

A garage sells cars and keeps a database of sales, customers and servicing, as shown
in Figure 5.4 overleaf.

The primary (key) field is Car number and the column is shaded red).

The foreign key fields are Invoice number and Engine ID and these are
shaded green.

Information from all three tables is linked together so, for example, if a car
service was due then by typing in Car number the customer’s details and servicing
details are brought up on the screen. This means information can be sent to the
customer as a reminder. Once the service is carried out, the servicing table will be
updated which means all other references to it will also be up to date.

To help you understand these complex structures, go through the following

exercise, which contains a flat data structure and a relational database.
5.4 ANALOGUE AND DIGITAL DATA

As we have already learnt from earlier chapters, computers work with digital
data, which is defined as discrete, fixed values in a given range.

However, in the real world, physical measurements (i.e. data) are not digital
but are continuously variable, producing an infinite number of values within a given
range. For example, length, weight, temperature, pressure, etc. can take any value,
depending on the accuracy to which they are measured. These values are measured
by an analogue device which represents physical measurement on a continuous
analogue scale, as illustrated in Figure 5.5. The speedometer represents speed by
showing the position of a pointer on a dial, while the thermometer represents
temperature by the height of the liquid column.

The data is known as analogue

data. Most control and monitoring applications
use devices called SENSORS to measure these
physical, analogue quantities. Examples of
sensors and their use in monitoring and control
applications are discussed in Chapter 7.
However, computers can only
understand and manipulate digital data. Analogue data would not make any sense to
the computer and may even cause some damage. To enable data in analogue form
(often the input from a sensor) to be processed by a computer, it needs to be changed
into a digital form. This is done using an analogue to digital converter (ADC).
Alternatively, if the computer is being used to control a device, such as a
motor or a valve, the device may need to be controlled by continuously variable
voltages. There would be no use sending out a digital signal. It would first need to be
changed into an analogue signal, requiring another device, known as a digital to
analogue converter (DAC).

Example of a control system

This example shows why there is a need to convert analogue to digital and
also digital to analogue as part of control system involving a computer:

Figure 5.6 shows a computer being used to control a furnace heated by

burning gas supplied from a gas source (the amount of gas is controlled by a valve
which can have an infinite number of positions).
 A sensor is used to measure temperature in the furnace and it sends readings
in analogue form (small electric currents/voltages). This data is converted into digital
by an ADC and is fed to a computer, which compares the input temperature with the
required temperature stored on a file. If any action is needed (furnace temperature is
too low or too high) then a digital signal is sent out from the computer. This signal is
converted into an electric current/voltage (i.e. analogue) so that the valve can be
regulated (i.e. opened or closed to control the gas supply and hence the furnace
temperature).

Application:

1. What you have learn in this lesson? Make a short discussion.

2. What is the importance of database?
3. What are the types of data and define and each and give an example

References:

IGCSE
Information and Communication Technology
Graham Brown and David Watson

Congratulations! You did a great job for this lesson! You can now proceed to the next
lesson.