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What are unstructured, structured, and semi-structured data types?
In the world of data management and analytics, understanding the different types of data is crucial for effective data processing, storage, and analysis. Data can be broadly categorized into three types: unstructured, structured, and semi-structured. Each type has its own characteristics, advantages, and challenges. In this blog, we’ll delve into each of these data types, explore their differences, and discuss their use cases. 1. Structured Data What is Structured Data? Structured data is highly organized and formatted in a way that is easily searchable and analyzable. It is typically stored in relational databases (RDBMS) and follows a predefined schema, such as tables with rows and columns. Each field in the table is designed to hold a specific type of data (e.g., integers, strings, dates). Characteristics of Structured Data: Predefined Schema: The structure is fixed and defined before data is entered. Tabular Format: Data is stored in rows and columns, similar to a spreadsheet. Easily Searchable: Structured data can be queried using languages like SQL. Scalability: Works well for large datasets but may require significant resources for scaling. Examples of Structured Data: Databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle) Spreadsheets (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets) Customer information (e.g., names, addresses, phone numbers) Financial records...