• similar genre
• same author
• same publisher
• alphabetical order etc.

Data Structures

• variables
• conditionals
• iterators
• functions
• scope
• arrays
• objects

// Array Implementation
let user = ['Obosi', 'Philip', 200, 'Nigeria', 'Frontend', ['English', 'Igbo','French']]

// Object Implementation
let user = {
    firstName: 'Philip',
    lastName: 'Obosi',
    contributions: 200,
    country: 'Nigeria',
    role: 'Frontend',
    languagesSpoken: ['English', 'Igbo','French']
}

Note: The snippet above is just sample code that may be used anywhere within an actual application to store data about a person.

Variables and Scope

Arrays

let user =['Obosi', 'Philip', 200, 'Nigeria', 'Frontend', ['English', 'Igbo','French'] ]

Note: In counting the items in an array, by convention we always start from 0. This means that each element holds a position with a negative offset of one.

Objects

let user = {
    firstName: 'Philip',
    lastName: 'Obosi',
    contributions: 200,
    country: 'Nigeria',
    role: 'Frontend',
    languagesSpoken: ['English', 'Igbo','French']
}

The best data structures consume minimal resources while storing data in a meaningful way for various operations.

a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer

• pick up every book on the shelve until you find what you want?
• pick a book at random till you find it?
• try to find it by alphabetical order?
• use the library’s search guide as a reference?

• walk up to the shelve
• pick up the first book
• check if it matches what you’re looking for
• If it does, yayyyyy!!! (that was quick)
• If it doesn't, you drop the book
• pick up another and check again.

The most optimal solution will thus be one that consumes minimal energy and takes little time to complete the task.

• Input- An algorithm must possess 0 or more well-defined inputs supplied externally to the algorithm.
• Output- An algorithm should have 1 or more well-defined outputs as desired.
• Correctness- Every step of the algorithm must generate a correct output.
• Definiteness-Algorithms should be clear and unambiguous, thus every step of the algorithm should be clear and well defined.
• Finiteness- The algorithm should have a finite number of steps that must be carried out to achieve the task at hand.

• Just as a library organizes books in a meaningful way for easy and efficient access, computer programs organize data in various ways too. This is so that computer processes can access and use them easily and efficiently.
• At the library, there are various ways to search out a book, some more efficient than others. In computer programs there are various ways to manipulate data and get tasks done(algorithms). For these too, some are more efficient than others and efficiency here is determined by considering the time taken and the amount of memory that is used in the process.

1. Accept data
2. Store data
3. Process data
4. Output data

• Priori Analysis. This is the theoretical evaluation in which factors such as processor speed are assumed to be constant and are not considered as having any effect on the algorithmic implementation.
• Posteriori Analysis. This is the practical evaluation carried out by implementing the algorithm using a selected programming language. The algorithm is then tested on a computer while observing the time taken and memore consumed.

Data structures help us organize data meaningfully and algorithms manipulate data for us efficiently.

• Problem Solving with Data Structures and Algorithms- Interactivepython.org
• The Importance of algorithms- Topcoder
• Algorithmic Efficiency - Wikipedia