Introducing data formats

Data can take different forms in programming, but the three formats you should be familiar with at the beginning of your data journey are:

• Text, which is what you're reading right now
• XML (Extensible Markup Language), which is a way of encoding document information so it's readable for you and a computer
• JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), which is a human-readable text format made up of attribute-value pairs and arrays

Each of these data formats has its own strengths and drawbacks, as well as applications in programming. For instance, text is generally used to store simpler, non-hierarchical, or nested information. XML is better at storing information in a document format, while JSON has a more diverse range of capabilities, specifically with database information and server communication with applications.

You can find more information about XML at https://www.xml.com and JSON at https://www.json.org.

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