In JavaScript, there are many terms that sound very similar to each other. For beginners, this can quickly become confusing. This confusion often happens because definitions sometimes look almost the same, with only small differences in wording.
In this post, I will break down the difference between data types and data structures. Understanding this difference is important before learning JavaScript data types and data structures in more detail, because it is a core concept in programming.
Definition
A data type is a classification that tells the computer what kind of value it is working with and what operations can be performed on that value.
You can think of a data type as a label that helps the computer understand how to handle the data. For example, numbers can be added or multiplied, while strings can be concatenated.
If the computer did not know the data type, it would not know what to do. For example, trying to add a number and a letter would not make sense unless the computer understands which one is a number and which one is a string.
A data structure, on the other hand, is a way to organize and store data so it can be used efficiently. It groups data together and defines how the data is arranged and accessed.
In simple terms, a data structure organizes data types in a specific way to make working with data easier.
What does it store?
A data type stores a single kind of value.
For example, a number data type stores numeric values, and a string data type stores text.
Each data type has rules about what kind of values it can hold. A number data type cannot store letters, and a string data type cannot be used for mathematical operations in the same way as numbers.
A data structure stores collections of values. These values can be of the same data type or different data types, depending on the structure.
For example, in JavaScript, an array can store multiple values, and those values can even be different data types. An object can store values with named keys, allowing data to be grouped in a meaningful way.
How do we save values?
With data types, values are usually assigned directly. In JavaScript, data types are determined automatically when a value is assigned. For example, when you assign a number to a variable, JavaScript understands that the variable now holds a number.
In some other programming languages, you must declare the data type in advance. JavaScript does not require this, which makes it more flexible for beginners.
With data structures, values are not assigned in a single step. Data structures are containers that hold multiple values, so we use specific operations to add, remove, or update data inside them.
For example, we can add values to an array, remove values, or update existing ones using built-in methods.
Difference across languages
Both data types and data structures can vary between programming languages. Some languages support data types or data structures that others do not, or they may work slightly differently.
In the next posts, we will focus specifically on data types and data structures in JavaScript and how they are used in real applications.
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