4.2.1.1. Data structures
To meet this assessment objective, you will need to:
Be familiar with the concept of data structures.
The data structure defines how the flow of data is controlled in relation to inputs, processes and outputs.
A data structure is a collection of data that is organised to allow efficient processing. For example, the contents of an array can be sorted using a wide range of sorting algorithms. Different data structures lend themselves to different applications. Some data structures are highly specialised to specific tasks. For example, an abstract syntax tree is a data structure widely used in compilers to represent the structure of program code.
Data structures can be static or dynamic. A static structure is fixed in size but a dynamic structure can grow or shrink. An array is a static structure as its size is fixed. A list is a dynamic structure as its size can increase or decrease.
These data structures can also be mutable or immutable. A mutable structure allows data to be edited, deleted or moved, but in an immutable structure data cannot be changed, it can only have more data added. An array is a mutable structure as its contents can be edited, deleted or moved. A string is an immutable structure as its contents cannot be changed without creating a new string.
Have a look at Issac Computer Science for a bit more information.
Essential algorithms for A Level computer science.pdf