Data

Under data is generally understood information ( numbers ) values ​​or formulatable findings, which were obtained by measuring, monitoring and others. In the vernacular, it refers to circumstances, facts, events. There are also in various fields such as computer science or the economic theory, different - though mostly similar - definitions. However, a uniform definition does not exist.

In the data protection legislation to the personal data referred to is, in essence, that is, information about natural persons, such as date of birth or place of residence.

For data processing and (business) computer science data as characters ( or symbols) are defined, which represent the information and serve the purpose of processing.

Economic theory describes data than those economic conditions that have a significant influence on the course of the economy, but do not themselves affected.

Semiotics defines data as potential information, see semiotic triangle. Here data are now classified in the sigmatics level.

• 4.1 Data in the general sense
• 4.2 Data in the computer science

Etymology and usage

Data or data previously are actually plurals of dates, which dates back as a loan word from Latin to date, given ' (PPP Latin dare to give ') or a substantive, the given '. On the more important documents was in the usual introductory notes " date ... " ( " where (am) ...") with and any of - making its content " the given " was. The plural form data to date follows other words of Latin origin such studies - studies or individuals - individual.

As in the German language, the meaning of " date " has to concentrated in common parlance, calendar date ', is used for the formation of the plural in the sense of time points often not the word form based on data, but instead spoke of " dates " or " appointments ". Conversely, for the singular of " data " in a broader sense than a given measurement, information or character ( chain ) then words like " value ", " indication" or " data" used.

Nevertheless, "Date", the correct singular to " data " and thus can also apply. Alternative constructs, such as the frequently encountered German pronounced "date", used for example as " two dates, a date," however, are wrong.

Data, in contrast to information

Although these two terms are often used interchangeably colloquially, the information theory distinguishes both the phrase in fundamental respects, details and examples, see Information.

Right

The German law used in various places the data term, but has no such definition. The term is used about the Privacy Policy or in criminal law under " spying out data " (§ 202a StGB); " Specifications" in this sense are " only those that are electronic, magnetic or otherwise not immediately perceptible stored or transmitted. "

The Austrian core criminal law knows the concept of data since the introduction of § 126a StGB ( data corruption ). Over time, more facts have been added so now even the fraudulent data processing abuse ( § 148a StGB), data forgery ( § 225a StGB), the disturbance in the functioning of a computer system ( § 126b StGB) and various run-up offenses (including § 118a, § 119a and § 126c StGB) can be punished.

Furthermore, a detailed presentation of the concept found in § 4 Data Protection Act 2000 ( DPA). A distinction is made between personal and non-personal data, only the former are protected by the DSG.

Computer science

By definition, the now detached DIN 44300 No. 19 were data (from 1985) structure of signs or continuous functions which represent information as a result of known or imputed agreements, primarily for the purpose of processing and as its result.

According to the terminology of the applicable standard of international technology standards ISO / IEC 2382-1 Information technology (since 1993) are data - Data: "a reinterpretable representation of information in a Formalized manner, suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing" - a re- interpretable representation of information in a formalized manner suitable for communication, interpretation or processing.

In computer science and data processing is data commonly referred to as (machine ) readable and editable, usually digital representation of information. Your content is usually to initially encoded in characters or strings whose structure follows strict rules, called syntax. Order of data back to abstract the information, they must be interpreted in a context of meaning. Thus, a sequence of digits like " 123456", for example, depending on the context for a phone number, an account number or the number of new car registrations are in a given period. The considered string " 123456" or " 11110001001000000 ", as such, can only be recognized as a sequence of digits; their possible significance becomes clear only in the proper context.

The storage of data is at data storage such as hard disks, DVDs, flash drives or magnetic tapes, earlier, for example, punched cards. These disks are regarded as hardware, while the data contained on / in them are to be understood as " an intangible concept ."

The form of presentation of data, known as coding, the amount of this possible characters are called code alphabet ( such as UTF -8). Data can be coded differently, that is denominated in different codes, but still represent the same information. In today's digital technology, the encoding has prevailed almost exclusively in binary form. A bit is the smallest unit of information. In principle, the use of next binary alphabets having more than two possible symbols.

• Common memory cells only know the states "on" and "off", which are interpreted as "1" and "0" and thus as the base values ​​of the binary system.
• Memory cells with more than one bit per cell can be found in flash memory devices, eg, the MLC TLC or memory cell.
• Memory cells for superimposed quantum states, so-called qubits, are still in the research stage.

Categorization of data

We distinguish:

• Structured data: the data ( for example, databases or files ) have a similar structure. See also Data Model
• Semi-structured data (such as Extensible Markup Language ( XML) )
• Unstructured data (such as documents, any text, graphics)

According to their degree of resistance it may be:

• Transient data ( fleeting, transitional ) versus persistent data ( permanent )
• Input data and output data to be stored or versus stored data

Other terms for data types:

• Application data are the technical and functional data to be processed - in contrast to technical data such as installation data, program code, executables, etc. Examples: master data, order data, ...
• Near-time data are copies of current data with somewhat less relevance than the original data ( in real-time real-time data ).
• Backup data is copied to the safety data sets, can be resorted to if necessary
• Primary versus derived data: Originated have arrived and once existing data. From these sums, copies or other constructs can be formed (derived ) are.
• Serial data (also called sequential data ) The data are not under the management of a data base system (DBMS) maintains, but is stored in a standard file format of the operating system and processes. As a rule, is not possible with a direct access; The data must then be sequentially read or written.
• Historical Data: The data set at certain times ( eg stand before changes ) can be stored separately and later in certain features are used ( such as screen display).

Forms of processing data

As data operations when storing data on a ' CRUD ' the initial acquisition of data (create), reading (read ), the change (update) and delete ( delete) to distinguish. Subject of such operations is usually a specific group of data (such as a customer's address, purchase order, etc. ), which was formed, for example according to the rules of data modeling. The data technical operations are triggered by the computer programs, i.e. via corresponding commands contained in this specified (as part of an implemented algorithm ). The operations are on the one hand even Input-/Output-Befehle with respect to the dataset, they are also partly related to input and output by the user of the computer program.

Purpose of storing data is their subsequent use in the rule. Here, the simple reproduction (eg in the form of advertisements or lists) can be distinguished from the evaluation, in which the data in different logical, mathematical, or performing procedures incorporated (eg for summation, averaging, subtraction, data reconciliation, as graphical charts, etc.).

A special form of data processing are the data import ( File Import) and data export (file export) and common method for data exchange between different systems. Under certain circumstances, a data conversion is required if the source and target systems use different data formats or file formats.

Observation and action levels for data

The term 'data' occurs in different, between related effects and levels of observation. These are mainly:

• In data management, a general framework for working with the data to be defined and applied during operation, for example: Who is considered the owner of the data? Where and how are data or will they be used? Who has access to it ( data security); Rules and measures for the privacy and data protection; enterprise models and naming conventions; Operational concepts for data tools, etc.
• Data Design: Mainly in software development in the context of projects play dates, in addition to the functionality of the programs, a central role. Using this individually available methods and tools here are details of the data architecture set, such as: What data is familiar with the software? How do they relate to each other in the context? Does it exist already? If they are managed / stored in databases or files? Compulsory or optional field possible? What data types and data structures are to be formed? What characteristics / content may take an attribute?
• Technical implementation: The results of the design specifications are set (for storage in a database system) in a database model as a basis for the processing and management of data which is to receive the database.
• In programming, the program code, data is processed on the commands created. With so-called declarations data structures are arranged with their individual data fields so that they can receive the data, and that are produced in the translation commands, as it corresponds to the field properties ( position, length, data format, etc.).

Data in the programming

Data is mostly source and target of the processing in computer programs. To this end, the purpose of the processing corresponding declarations and commands are in the program, that is, in its source code, is required. This can, depending on the programming language, have significant syntactic and linguistic- conceptual (semantic ) differences. Important data-related terms are here (each specified with synonyms, similar terms and example):

• Dataset: where data is stored, generated by a program, changed or deleted and / or read from it (see also CRUD). Similar: database, file, data base; Example: customer addresses
• Record: Holds on an object ( entity ) claims / values ​​together. Similar terms: tuples, composite, dataset recordset; Example: Address of a specific customer.
• Data field: A single, elementary, belonging to a specified record / information. Only program-internal data used (for example, total fields, the value-added tax rate in percent ... ) are also defined and processed in data fields. Similar: variable, constant, field; For example, zip code of residence
• Data structure: Sets of data fields to a group. Representative: composite ( data group ), array / table, stack; Example: Phone number (s ) of the customer, country code, area code, Phone Number, optionally dial
• Data Type: Classification for data fields and structures, such as text, numeric / floating point array. This is followed by orienting the commands (methods, functions) that can be applied to the data fields. Similar: Data format; Example: Postal Code is a numeric field

Other data items, which are of fundamental importance in programming / software development, include: data modeling, input and output, data flow, ...

Remarkable

On Earth, there are (as of 2011 ) 1.8 zettabytes ( 1021 bytes = 1.8 trillion gigabytes) of digital information. The total volume grew over the last five years by a factor of five and is currently growing daily at 1018 bytes. If you wanted to burn the entire amount of data on DVD, so we needed a stack of DVDs that would reach from the earth to the moon and back. The digital information grew in 2009 alone by 62 percent. In the coming years, the global data traffic is expected to multiply.

Examples

Data in the general sense

• Contents of encyclopedias and books
• The displayed temperature on a thermometer
• The ( measured ) speed of a passing vehicle
• Responses in surveys, censuses - to the questions in questionnaires
• Results of experiments in the natural sciences, technical facts
• Press archives of newspaper publishers
• The contents of documents ( such as letters, memos, reports, etc.)

Data in the computer science

• Bits and bytes, for example: in storage on data carriers such as hard drives, USB sticks or DVDs
• In transmission over the Internet or on the mobile telephone