Records
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 3.2.1
Records
Structured data refers to any data that resides in a fixed field within a record or file so that it can be easily entered, stored, queried, and analysed.
Records
- Records are made up of fields.
- For example, a person could be represented as a record where the fields include their name, age, and address.
Comma separated values (CSV)
- One method of storing a record is using comma separated values.
- Each record is put on its own line.
- Each field is separated by a special character such as a comma.
Pros and cons
- Pros:
- Very simple, text-based format.
- Can be read by many applications.
- Easy to use in programs.
- Cons:
- Inefficient for large datasets.
- Can only store text data.
- No built-in means of sorting or searching.
Test yourself on Records
Which character separated each values of a CSV file?
Cons of CSV files