Table of Content
In this lesson, you will get to learn and understand what data structures are.
What is a Data Structure?
A data structure is a way to store and organize data so that it can be used efficiently.
To break it down in terms of problem-solving, we would define a data structure as a collection of data values, the relationships among them, and the functions or operations that can be applied to that data.
You may already have encountered data structure at some point in life.
Some notable examples are:
- The document object model, which is what we see on an HTML page, is a tree data structure.
- The browser back and forward buttons are managed using a stack data structure.
- Operating systems use a queue data structure for job scheduling.
Data structures are everywhere and having knowledge about them can only help you in every step of your career.
Why is Data Structure Important?
Almost every application we build involves data that is modeled in a certain way to efficiently manage the data it uses and stores.
For instance, imagine you went into a library only to discover that there is no efficient organization of the books, and all books are arranged randomly.
It would take you hours to find a book, and you might never walk into that library again.
The same concept translates to the code we write for an application.
Here is some importance of data structure:
- The difference between a function that takes a few milliseconds to process the data and one that takes a few seconds or even minutes comes down to the selection of the right data structure.
- Data structures help you solve problems more efficiently, both in terms of time and memory.
- Data structures also help you gain a more profound understanding of things you're already aware of.
Wrap Off
There you have it!
We hope you now know what data structures are, their characteristics, and their importance in software development.
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