Data structure is a storage that is used to store and organize data. It is a way of arranging data on a computer so that it can be accessed and updated efficiently.
Depending on your requirement and project, it is important to choose the right data structure for your project. For example, if you want to store data sequentially in the memory, then you can go for the Array data structure.
Storing data sequentially in the array data structure
Basically, data structures are divided into two categories:
- Linear data structure
- Non-linear data structure
Linear data structures
In linear data structures, the elements are arranged in sequence one after the other. Since elements are arranged in particular order, they are easy to implement.
However, when the complexity of the program increases, the linear data structures might not be the best choice because of operational complexities.
- Non linear data structures
Unlike linear data structures, elements in non-linear data structures are not in any sequence. Instead they are arranged in a hierarchical manner where one element will be connected to one or more elements.
Non-linear data structures are further divided into graph and tree based data structures.
