Basic Data Structures

3.5 Basic Data Structures

Imagine you have a bunch of books. How do you organize them so you can find them easily? You could put them on a single shelf in a line, or stack them, or put them into categories. How you arrange them affects how quickly you can find a specific book.

In programming, a Data Structure is a special way of organizing and storing data in a computer so that it can be used and managed efficiently. It's like having different types of containers, each designed to hold specific kinds of information in a structured way.

Think of it this way:

• A single piece of data (like the number 5 or the word "cat") is like a single book.
• A data structure is like the bookshelf, or a box, or a filing cabinet where you put those books.

Choosing the right data structure for your program is very important! It can make your program run much faster or much slower, depending on how you need to store and get information.

We'll look at some of the most basic and commonly used data structures.