FAQ What's the difference between programs and data?
From Computer Evolution Knowledgebase
Programs and Data, what's the difference? There doesn't seem to be a difference... but there is one!
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Dictionary definitions
Dictionary.com defines a program as
The precise sequence of instructions enabling a computer to solve a problem.
and data as
Numerical or other information represented in a form suitable for processing by computer.
If you understand exactly what the difference is just from reading those, great. Otherwise keep reading.
The breakdown
The easiest way to get the point across is by example. And I'll use an example that everybody knows, and that is Microsoft Word.
Microsoft Word is a program. When you want to type a document, you would do so with Microsoft Word as your tool. When you are done typing your document, you would then save that document for later retrieval. In this example, Microsoft Word is the program and the document you saved with Microsoft Word is the data.
Let's take another real world example. Let's say you have yourself a neat digital camera. With said digital camera you take some important pictures. Once you plug that camera into your computer the Kodak software that came with the camera would then take the pictures off of the camera and put them onto your computer.
Let's say now you want to view those pictures again from your computer. You could open up the Kodak software again (which I'm assuming has an album managing function) to view the pictures saved on your computer. But keep in mind that the key word here is "saved on your computer." This means that the picture files were already moved off of the camera and onto your computer. And now we can view them any time with the tool Kodak Viewer. But since the pictures themselves are just files (AKA data) we can also choose to view them with another tool (AKA program) such as Google's Picasa.
Limitations
Programs themselves are usually licensed individually or for multiple users, whereas data essentially becomes unlicensed pieces of information that you essentially own from the outset. Due to licensing issues, once a program is installed on one computer, it cannot be transferred off that single computer to another computer, whereas data can.
For example, let's say you install Microsoft Office (which contains Word, Excel, etc) onto a computer, then type a few resumes (for all of your separate personas), and have that same computer die on you. Since the computer was getting old anyway and it was time to buy a new one you go and get yourself a nice new shiny one. But now you have all of your stuff in the old computer.
So you boot up the new computer and find out that it does not have Microsoft Office already installed. No problem, you already have it installed in your old computer. You can just transfer it over, right? WRONG! Programs spread their files all over the place and modify Windows Registry entries. Even if you tried you probably wouldn't be able to get it over successfully. Even if you did, due to licensing it becomes illegal. Doing illegal stuff is illegal. However, if you were fortunate enough to keep your original Microsoft Office disc with its proper licensing key then you could use that to install it on the new computer using that disc.
But what about all of my resumes on the old computer? I can transfer those over, right? Yes, of course. Those can be transferred over because even though Microsoft Word uses them, Word is only the tool to use to do the modification. The truth is you could take the files (data) off of the old computer without even having Microsoft Word installed on the new one. You just wouldn't get very far because you'd have nothing to read them.
How should you transfer it over? Well, if the computer wasn't dead I'd suggest burning it to a disc or use a USB flash drive, but since it's dead I'd suggest you bring it in and have a professional take it off of your old computer and put it onto a medium of your choice. Elsewise, learn how to do it yourself.
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