Respond to this discussion below about data structures and their roles in programming with at least 150 words or more
Unlike algorithms that pertain to real life scenarios outside of computer science, data structures are particularly synonymous with programming and software development. The term “data structure” is almost self defining. Examples of data structures include arrays, lists, stack, queue. All examples include different ways that data is arranged and manipulated. Data structures are integral to developing complex programs. “Data Structures are widely used in almost every aspect of Computer Science i.e. Operating System, Compiler Design, Artificial intelligence, Graphics and many more” (“Data Structure”, n.d.,). Algorithms utilize different data structures to carry out a task with the added benefit of reusability. An array is a simple to understand data structure that is used by all programming languages. The ArrayList is a particular function that is specific to Java. They are both ways to declare an array. The cool thing about the ArrayList is that one does not need to provide the size of the array initially. Java ArrayList allows for many additional operations like the indexOf() and the remove() operation. This seems to make ArrayList perhaps of more utility than a simple array. Although, I have not heard of this ArrayList until this discussion. I do look forward to experimenting with its many functions in the future and perhaps in this course.
References:
“Data Structure”, n.d., Java T Point, Retrieved from https://www.javatpoint.com/data-structure-introduction
Mathur, P., 12 Jun, 2020, Geeks for Geeks, Retrieved from https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/array-vs-arraylist-in-java/
