Data is the cornerstone of our society. We use data to inform us before making most decisions. Whether that decision is to buy a business or end a long-standing friendship, we use data to support our choices in hopes of making the right one.

Data in terms of technology is defined as facts, figures, and information that is gathered, stored, and utilised by a computer. Within data, one has complex vs simple data types, with each representing the two extremes of the data spectrum.

Simple data is data that has been arranged within a database or file. Each data group within that database is of equal value. Complex data on the other hand, is much larger and intricate, and is hard to process and translate into a digestible format.

What Are the Simple and Complex Data Types?

There are different types of simple and complex data. Complex data types consist of primitive data types that are nested together to form structures. This can be taken even further, and structures can be comprised of other complex data types. In contrast, simple data types only represent one value, and are generally used to generate policies.

Types of Simple Data with Examples

There are multiple types of simple data. Some of them include:

• Interger: This refers to data that presents itself as positive or negative values of whole numbers.
• Float: This is a data type that consists of numbers that include decimal points.
• String: A string is made up of a chain of characters that can stretch up to 4 KB in length.
• Boolean: This is when a value is connected to, or defined as true or false.
• Date: A date is presented as a specific day of the year. It is usually represented as YYYY-MM-DD or HH:MM:SS.

Types of Complex Data with Examples

A few types of complex data include but are not limited to:

• Array: Here the same data types are grouped into a similar collection of elements. These data types can consist of simple data types such as interger, float, or string.
• Map: This data type matches keys to values to create key-value pairs. Examples of this data type include locations that are matched to zip codes.
• Struct: This is a data type that can consist of other complex, as well as simple data types. This allows for flexibility, as the multiple data types present can be combined under one name.

To find out more about complex and simple data, and what data visualisation tools will suit a specific data type best, contact us at B2IT.