DATA PROCESSING

Data processing is any computer process that converts data into information or knowledge. The
processing is usually assumed to be automated and running on a computer. Because data are
most useful when well-presented and actually informative, data-processing systems are often
referred to as information systems to emphasize their practicality. Nevertheless, both terms are
roughly synonymous, performing similar conversions; data-processing systems typically
manipulate raw data into information, and likewise information systems typically take raw data
as input to produce information as output.

More generally, the term data processing can apply to any process that converts data from one
format to another, although data conversion would be the more logical and correct term. From
this perspective, data processing becomes the process of converting information into data and
also the converting of data back into information. The distinction is that conversion doesn't
require a question (query) to be answered. For example, information in the form of a string of
characters forming a sentence in English is converted or encoded meaningless hardware-oriented
data to evermore-meaningful information as the processing proceeds toward the human being.

Data processing cycle:

1. Preparation of Source Document
The first step is to obtain relevant facts and figures and to set these out on source
documents. For example, in a population survey, name, address, age, sex,
occupation etc. should be first written down onto a survey sheet or some other
document. These documents could be then designed in a manner so that
information is recorded in the required order.

2. Input of Data
Once the data has been extracted from the source document, it should be
transferred into a form that is suitable for data entry into a computer so that
processing can take place. The method depends upon the input media and the
devices.
3. Manipulation of data
Information and inputs for processing may have to be classified or sorted. It is this
form of operation, or data manipulation rather than pure computation with which
data processing is mainly concerned. For example, in a population survey, one
might want to classify people by occupation or by age. One may wish to sort lists
in alphabetical order or in any other order. One may require employees to be
grouped by departments for a payroll program. All these forms of data
manipulation produce results which can later be organized in the form of
summaries.

4. Output of Information
The objective of results or summaries is to provide meaningful information to
managers, accountants, etc. Therefore, one should always give a consideration to
the presentation of results so that they can be easily and quickly understood.

5. Data Storage
In most of the cases, the results of processing are retained for future use or
reference. In many cases, it may be necessary after updating, to compare the latest
figures with the previous ones, perhaps, over different periods of time. This
means that data processing installations require a great deal of secondary storage
space to store all the programs and different sets of data.

Elements of Data Processing

n order to be processed by a computer, the data needs first to be converted into a machine
readable format. Once data is in digital format, various procedures can be applied on the data to
get useful information. Data Processing includes all the processes from Data Entry up to Data
Mining:
 Data Entry
 Data Cleaning
 Data Coding
 Data Translation
 Data Summarization
 Data Aggregation
 Data Validation
 Data Tabulation
 Statistical Analysis
 Computer graphics
 Data Warehousing
 Data Mining
Types of Data Processing

1. Batch Processing
It is executing a series of non-interactive jobs all at one time. The term originated in the days
when users used to enter programs on punch cards. They would give a batch of these
programmed cards to the system operator who would, then, feed them into computer. Batch
processing is particularly useful for operations that require a computer or a peripheral device for
an extended period of time. It should be noted that batch processing implies that there is no
interaction with the user while the Program is being executed.

2. Online or Immediate Processing

In immediate processing, transactions are processed to update a file
immediately or shortly after a real-world event occurs. Information processing
applications that use immediate processing are often called real time
application. A real time application can immediately capture data about
ongoing events or processes and provide the information necessary to manage
them. An airline-reservation system is an example of a real time application.
Real time systems should have real time files that are updated immediately
after the event occurs. Consequently, at any point of time, data in real time
files should accurately reflect the status of the real world variables they
represent. For example, when a customer reserves a seat on an airline flight,
the reservations’ agent note that fact and the inventory of non-reserved seats
on the flight is immediately changed to reflect one less available seat.
Immediate processing requires direct access files since immediate processing
with sequential files would be impractical because of the time required to
search for individual records. Batch processing, on the other hand, can occur
with either sequential or direct access files.

3. Time-sharing
This is one form of online processing which allows the concurrent use of a
computer by a group of individuals. This form of online processing is called
as time-sharing. Many users share a computer’s resources at the same time.
Schools often adopt time-sharing systems to support their computer
curriculums.

4. Remote Job-Entry
A Remote Job Entry (RJE) station is a device permitting transfer of data from
a remote location to a distant computer system via telecommunications.