Absolute Beginner's Guide to Programming, Third Edition

What a Computer Does

From a programmer's viewpoint, at its simplest level a computer processes data into meaningful information. You may not have considered the difference between the words “data” and “information” before, but there is a tremendous difference to a computer professional.

Data (plural for datum, although most use data for both singular and plural) consists of raw facts and figures. Information, on the other hand, is processed data. Information has meaning; data, in its raw form, does not. Figure 1.1 shows the fundamental data processing model. Notice that data goes into the computer, the computer processes that data, and meaningful information is the result.

Figure 1.1. Data becomes more meaningful as processed information.

Data ...