Data is anything that can be recorded about an item in the physical world. It can be structured or unstructured; it can be static or constantly changing; and it can occur sporadically or constantly! Data is the heartbeat of any modern technology. Indeed, AI is built on data - without it and the ability to process huge quantities of it, AI would not exist.

Watch this video for a really good introduction of data and how it can be used in a business:

What is in this section

This section of the specification covers two main areas:

• Theory: In Paper 2, the database question can typically be 20 marks out of a total of 100 for the entire paper.
• Practical: Demonstrating that you can create database applications is a higher level skill for the NEA.

Data is also the focus for the specification section 4.11 Big Data.

Already in this course we have had a focus on how we handle data in our programs. The use of JSON to hold data is really important. JSON is the de facto language for the exchange of data between end points of the world wide web. JSON provides:

1. Keys: These are labels for data items.
2. Values: The data items themselves could be any data structure such as a number, a string, an array, a list, another dictionary etc.

Next: Concept 1 - What is a Database?