C++ How to Program, 10/e

1.4 Data Hierarchy

Data items processed by computers form a data hierarchy that becomes larger and more complex in structure as we progress from the simplest data items (called “bits”) to richer ones, such as characters and fields. Figure 1.3 illustrates a portion of the data hierarchy.

Fig. 1.3 Data hierarchy.

Bits

The smallest data item in a computer can assume the value 0 or the value 1. It’s called a bit (short for “binary digit”—a digit that can assume one of two values). Remarkably, the impressive functions performed by computers involve only the simplest manipulations of 0s and 1s—examining a bit’s value, setting a bit’s value and ...