๐ Data Formats
Types#
- Program files
- Document (word processes) files
- Images
- Videos
- Sound/music
- Spreadsheets
Formats#
- Document/word process: .docx, .txt, .pages
- Spreadsheets: xlsx, .numbers, .csv
- Images: .jpg, .png, .bmp, .svg
- Sound: .mp3, .wav
- Video: .mp4, .mov
- Compress: .zip, .rar, .7zip
Why?#
We have different file formats because:
- Standards
- File size
- Compatibility
- Quality
- Editing
Compression#
- Lossy
โ - Loose quality, flile size smaller
- Lossless
โ - Keep quality, file size smaller
PNG vs JPG#
PNG will be the same after compression, it is lossles Compression
JPG quality is lower than PNG, it is lossy compression.
File structures#
File based structure#
Flat files
Data grouped based on a type of file.
One file that stores data in a logical format.
example
Spreadsheet
Directory based structure#
Data in files within separate organised folders. Structure tends to be hierarchical.
Relational database models#
Organised data in tables, which are linked together. Data is a particular scenario.
Advantages#
- Flexible in handline data
- Organised data in separate tables
- Simpler compared to other models
- Easy to back up data
Disadvantages#
- Initial setup costs are expensive
- Can get slow peformance, depending on data stored
- Can be complex to store large amounts of data
Flat files vs Relational based structure#
Advantages#
- Flat files are easy to manage, due to one file
- Flat files require less hardware/software
- Easier to unserstand and setup
Disadvantages#
- Flat files are less secure
- Flat files can get data entry errors
- Flat files have repeated data, causing confusion and update errors
- Difficult to update