Data definition

Data in computing is information in a particular format, typically a set of discrete (separate and distinct) values that a computer can read which represents real information. Sometimes "data" is used interchangeably for "information".

Computer data however, has more uniformed structures but can be used flexibly to be transformed into a vast range of information (from audio to imagery) as long as the interpretation is correct. The data units in binary systems are known as "bits" while groups of 8 of these bits are known as "bytes" or "octets". Data however can refer anything from a single bit to multitudes of bytes across many drives, or certain sections that's been allocated to a particular user or virtual/conceptual object.