In computing, data are related to numbers, characters, images, etc. These devices are used for converting those “physical quantities into symbols.”

Such data are introduced or processed by a human or a computer and then, those data are sent to another human or computer.

We can distinguish two types of computers:

• Analog computer: “represents a datum as a voltage, distance, position, or other physical quantit.”
• Digital computer: “represents a datum as a voltage, distance, position, or other physical quantity.”

The latter uses the binary language, which represents characters with “0″ and “1″.

Two special forms of data can be distinguished:

• Computer program: “is a collection of data, which can be interpreted as instructions.“
• Metadata: “is a description of other data. A similar yet earlier term for metadata is “ancillary data.“

Information, copied and pasted fragments ( in italics and in inverted commas) taken from: Wikipedia and Alberto La Calle’s personal website.

The binary language; photo taken from: Istockphoto