Another key data concept that is important to mention at this point is that of data types. This concept is equally important in spreadsheets, it's just that spreadsheets don't generally force you to declare the data type, and they allow you to mix and match data types in individual columns. In data tables, each column must have a single data type for all values in all rows.
So, what is meant by data type? There are (in essence) five types of data:
- Numbers
- Text
- Dates/times
- Boolean
- Binary
They are defined as such because they have distinct properties. Numbers can be used in calculations, and the vast array of mathematical functions and operators can be brought to bear on them. Text can be parsed, concatenated, counted, and arranged into categorical hierarchies. Dates have special meanings and can be used in time calculations and hierarchies ...