The document outlines key definitions and concepts related to computer files, records, fields, and data items. It explains that computer files are the basic units of stored data, with records consisting of related fields, while fields allocate space for individual items of information. Additionally, it categorizes data items into numeric, alphabetic, and alphanumeric types and describes the structured hierarchy from data to files.

2. Specific Objectives
• Learners should be able to define computer file
• Learners should be able to define record
• Learners should be able to define computer files
and record
• Learners should be able to define field and data
item
• Learners should be able to explains types of data
items
• Learners should be able to explains the file
structure

3. Definition of computer files
•What are
computer
files?

4. Definition of computer files
Computer files are the
most basic unit of data
that users can store on
a disk.

5. Definition of computer files
Computer files are the most basic unit of
data that users can store on a disk.
Every program, image, video, song
and document is stored as a file.

6. Definition of Record
• What is a record?

7. Definition of Record
A record is a collection of related
data items or fields.

8. Definition of Record
A record is a collection of related
data items or fields.
Each record normally corresponds to a
specific unit of information. Examples
are: Employee’s name, basic salary and
house rent allowance.

9. Definition of Field
A field is a space allocated for a
particular item of information.

10. Field
A field is a space allocated for a particular item of information.
A tax form for example contains a
number of fields; one for your
name, one for your tax identification
number (TIN), one for your income and
so on.
In a database, fields are the smallest units of information you can access. In spreadsheet fields are called cells.
Data items are physically arranged as fields in a computer file.
Their length may be fixed or variable. Since all individuals have 3 digit employee numbers, a 3-digit field is required to store the
particular data. Hence it is a fixed field.
In contrast, since customers name vary considerably from one customer to another, a variable amount of space must be available
to store this element. This can be called variable field.
In video terminology, a field is one of many still images that make up a moving picture. A field is similar to a frame but is displayed
twice as fast.

11. Field
A field is a space allocated for a particular item of information.
A tax form for example contains a number of fields; one for your name, one for your tax identification number (TIN), one for your income and so on.
In a database, fields are the
smallest units of information
you can access.
In spreadsheet fields are
called cells.
Data items are physically arranged as fields in a computer file.
Their length may be fixed or variable. Since all individuals have 3 digit employee numbers, a 3-digit field is required to store the particular data. Hence it is a fixed field.
In contrast, since customers name vary considerably from one customer to another, a variable amount of space must be available to store this element. This can be called
variable field.
In video terminology, a field is one of many still images that make up a moving picture. A field is similar to a frame but is displayed twice as fast.

12. Field
Data items are
physically arranged
as fields in a
computer file.

13. Field
Data items are physically arranged
as fields in a computer file.
Their length may be fixed or variable. Since all individuals have 3
digit employee numbers, a 3-digit field is required to store the
particular data. Hence it is a fixed field.
In contrast, since customers name vary considerably from one
customer to another, a variable amount of space must be available
to store this element. This can be called variable field.
In video terminology, a field is one of many still images that make up
a moving picture. A field is similar to a frame but is displayed twice
as fast.

14. Data
Data item is the smallest unit of information
stored in a computer file. It is a single
element used to represent a fact such as an
employee’s name, item price.

15. Types of Data items
1. Numbers
2. Alphabet
3. Alphanumeric

16. Types of Data items
• Numeric data consist of numbers from 0 – 9
• Alphabetic data consist of letters A –Z
• Alphanumeric data is a combination of numbers
and letters, can also refer to collection of Latin
letters and Arabic digits or text constructed from
these collection. There are either 36 (Single case)
or 62 (Case Sensitive) alphanumeric characters.
The alphanumeric data set consist of number 0-9
and letters A – Z.

17. File Structure
The structure of a file in systematic
order from top to bottom
• The data is the smallest unit of
information stored in a computer
file
• Data
• A field is a collection of
related data items
• Field
• A record is a collection
of related fields
•Record
• The collection of
record is a file
•FILE

19. Evaluation
1. Define the following:
a) File
b) Record
c) Field
2. List three types of data
3. List the order in a file
structure