Difference between data and program.

A computer user most often works with various data, as well as with programs. What are their features?

What is computer data?

Under computer data is understood, strictly speaking, any sequence of combinations of machine code elements - zeros and ones, which can form a file, folder, array, low-level or high-level algorithm or script.

But modern IT-specialists understand by data most often useful information that carries an informative load. Which, as a rule, are presented in the form of files - text, graphic, video or audio recordings, web pages. Sometimes useful data looks like a sound or video broadcast - for example, when watching TV or listening to radio broadcasts online, when people communicate on Skype. But such a broadcast can also be recorded to a file.

Thus, computer data in the modern sense is a sequence of combinations of machine code elements - zeros and ones, which has practical utility and carries a certain information load.

What is a program?

Program is also a sequence of combinations of zeros and ones within the machine code, but with a special structure and allowing you to create, process, receive and transmit other sequences. For example, those that are represented by useful data.

The program, therefore, is a tool for creating, processing, receiving and transmitting files, broadcasts and other data. As well as other programs, which in this case will themselves be collections of data.

Comparison

The main difference between the data and the program is that the former are the carrier of the information load - files. A program is a means of creating and reproducing this information load (in the form in which the user needs it).

The program, of course, also consists of files - executable, as well as those that supplement it (libraries, scripts, etc.). But each of them separately usually does not carry the information load from the point of view of practical significance for the user.

One of the unique properties of programs is the ability to reproduce itself. A finished, debugged application, complete with the necessary files and scripts, can always load itself. In turn, a person in most cases does not have the opportunity to use in a practically useful way existing computer data without programs. In order to open a file or listen to a broadcast, he will need to use a special application adapted to work with the corresponding data types.

Thus, data and programs are resources dependent on each other in many respects. The main difference between them comes down to their internal structure, as well as to the modes of their practical application.

Having determined what is the difference between the data and the program, we will fix the main conclusions in the table.