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From: Fred Nurk on 5 Jul 2010 04:29
My answer to the subject of this thread is:
It is necessary to classify data into different types because a computer
must use a system of codes to classify the data processed.

The assumption, of course, is that I'm doing basic reading comprehension
from a textbook.

My answer is very much derived from this paragraph of my textbook:
A data type refers to how the computer classifies data. We can all see at
a glance whether data is numerical or expressed as a percentage or
currency but a computer must use a system of codes to classify the
different types of data that are processed. The different data types in
computer programming include integers, characters, Boolean, floating
point numbers, real numbers, dates, pointers, records, algebraic data
types, abstract data types, reference types, classes and function types.

Does my answer make a lot of sense?
From: Jongware on 5 Jul 2010 10:27
On 05-Jul-10 10:29 AM, Fred Nurk wrote:
> My answer to the subject of this thread is:
> It is necessary to classify data into different types because a computer
> must use a system of codes to classify the data processed.
>
> The assumption, of course, is that I'm doing basic reading comprehension
> from a textbook.
>
> My answer is very much derived from this paragraph of my textbook:
> A data type refers to how the computer classifies data. We can all see at
> a glance whether data is numerical or expressed as a percentage or
> currency but a computer must use a system of codes to classify the
> different types of data that are processed. The different data types in
> computer programming include integers, characters, Boolean, floating
> point numbers, real numbers, dates, pointers, records, algebraic data
> types, abstract data types, reference types, classes and function types.
>
> Does my answer make a lot of sense?

"I earn $10 per hour."

"I earn $10 per hour!"

(or:

"I earn $10 per hour!!!")

You need to know more about the 'data type' "$10/hr" to understand the
meaning of the exclamation marks.

[Jw]
From: blmblm on 9 Jul 2010 08:13
In article <3FgYn.180$FH2.29(a)viwinnwfe02.internal.bigpond.com>,
Fred Nurk <albert.xtheunknown0(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> It is necessary to classify data into different types because a computer
> must use a system of codes to classify the data processed.
>
> That's my answer (which I've tried to take from my textbook) to this
> thread's subject.
>
> My textbook has this paragraph:
> A data type refers to how the computer classifies data. We can all see at
> a glance whether data is numerical or expressed as a percentage or
> currency but a computer must use a system of codes to classify the
> different types of data that are processed. The different data types in
> computer programming include integers, characters, Boolean, floating
> point numbers, real numbers, dates, pointers, records, algebraic data
> types, abstract data types, reference types, classes and function types.
>
> Does my answer make sense? Could I do a better job of showing my
> understanding of the importance of data types using the textbook
> paragraph?

To me your answer makes about as much sense as the passage you
quote from your textbook -- which is to say, not very much [*].
Would you mind identifying the textbook?

[*] I'd explain the situation in the same way as the posters who've
been emphasizing (my words, not necessarily theirs) that to digital
hardware it's all ones and zeros, and it's the programs that decide
how to interpret the bits. The stuff about "codes" that you quote --
to me it sounds like they're saying that all data is tagged with
something that identifies how the bits are to be interpreted, which
isn't generally the case.

--
B. L. Massingill
ObDisclaimer: I don't speak for my employers; they return the favor.
From: Fred Nurk on 10 Jul 2010 05:49
blmblm(a)myrealbox.com wrote:
> <snip>
> Would you mind identifying the textbook?
> <snip>

You may buy it at http://au.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/
productCd-073140520X.html
From: blmblm on 10 Jul 2010 11:18
In article <4nXZn.485$FH2.410(a)viwinnwfe02.internal.bigpond.com>,
Fred Nurk <albert.xtheunknown0(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> blmblm(a)myrealbox.com wrote:
> > <snip>
> > Would you mind identifying the textbook?
> > <snip>
>
> You may buy it at http://au.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/
> productCd-073140520X.html

Thanks ....

I was going to be snarky and say "why would I want to buy it?"
(given that based on the quoted excerpt I'm not very impressed),
but even if I wanted to apparently I couldn't! because when
I point a browser at the above link I get a page that tells me
this:

"This product is not currently available for purchase from this
website."

Maybe availability depends on geographic area? I am in the US,
and the URL suggests Australia.

The title, though, is kind of suggestive, to me anyway [*]:

"Study on Information Technology VCE Information Technology
Units 1 and 2 and CD-ROM"

[*] It sounds like a book for a course on IT for not-very-technical
people. ?

--
B. L. Massingill
ObDisclaimer: I don't speak for my employers; they return the favor.
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