DATA REPRESENTATION
Data representation is a method to represent data and encode it in a computer system. Generally, a
user inputs numbers, text, images, audio, and video etc types of data to process but the computer
converts this data to machine language first and then processes it.
Computers represent data in the following forms
Number System
A computer system considers numbers as data; it includes integers, decimals, and complex numbers.
All the inputted numbers are represented in binary formats like 0 and 1. A number system is
categorized into four types −
Binary − A binary number system is a base of all the numbers considered for data
representation in the digital system. A binary number system consists of only two values,
either 0 or 1; so its base is 2. It can be represented to the external world as (10110010) 2. A
computer system uses binary digits (0s and 1s) to represent data internally.
Octal − The octal number system represents values in 8 digits. It consists of digits
0,1,2,3,4,5,6, and 7; so its base is 8. It can be represented to the external world as (324017)8.
Decimal − Decimal number system represents values in 10 digits. It consists of digits 0, 1,2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; so its base is 10. It can be represented to the external world as (875629)10.
Hexadecimal number − Hexadecimal number system represents values in 16 digits. It
consists of digits 0, 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 then it includes alphabets A, B, C, D, E, and F; so
its base is 16. Where A represents 10, B represents 11, C represents 12, D represents 13, E
represents 14 and F represents 15.
The below-mentioned table below summarises the data representation of the number system along
with their Base and digits.
Number System
System Base Digits
Binary 2 01
Octal 8 01234567
Decimal 10 0123456789
Hexadecimal 16 0123456789ABCDEF
Bits and Bytes
Bits
A bit is the smallest data unit that a computer uses in computation; all the computation tasks done
by the computer systems are based on bits. A bit represents a binary digit in terms of 0 or 1. The
computer usually uses bits in groups. It's the basic unit of information storage and communication in
digital computing.
Bytes
A group of eight bits is called a byte. Half of a byte is called a nibble; it means a group of four bits is
called a nibble. A byte is a fundamental addressable unit of computer memory and storage. It can
represent a single character, such as a letter, number, or symbol using encoding methods such as
ASCII and Unicode.
Bytes are used to determine file sizes, storage capacity, and available memory space. A kilobyte (KB)
is equal to 1,024 bytes, a megabyte (MB) is equal to 1,024 KB, and a gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1,024
MB. File size is roughly measured in KBs and availability of memory space in MBs and GBs.
1 Byte 8 Bits
1024 Bytes 1 Kilobyte
1024 Kilobytes 1 Megabyte
1024 Megabytes 1 Gigabyte
1024 Gigabytes 1 Terabyte
1024 Terabytes 1 Petabyte
ASCII
ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. It is an 8-bit code that
specifies character values from 0 to 127. ASCII is a standard for the Character Encoding of Numbers
that assigns numerical values to represent characters, such as letters, numbers, exclamation marks
and control characters used in computers and communication equipment that are using data.
ASCII originally defined 128 characters, encoded with 7 bits, allowing for 2^7 (128) potential
characters. The ASCII standard specifies characters for the English alphabet (uppercase and
lowercase), numerals from 0 to 9, punctuation marks, and control characters for formatting and
control tasks such as line feed, carriage return, and tab.
