Define Data Structure. Explain its need in programming.
Data Structure Data is a method to efficiently store and organize data in computer memory so that it can be easily accessed and managed. It defines the relationships between data elements and the operations (such as insert, delete, search) that can be performed on them. In simple words, it is a systematic blueprint or format for storing data, just like books in a library are organized into different sections so that the right book can be found quickly. Common data structures include Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, Trees, Graphs , and Hash Tables . Need of Data Structure in Programming In programming, data structures are needed for many important reasons, whose primary goal is to make the code efficient, scalable and manageable . Efficient Data Management: The right data structure makes data retrieval, insertion and deletion operations very fast. Imagine you need to find one person's number from millions of contacts. If data is stored randomly ...