Data Structures

A Data Structure is a way of defining, storing and retrieving data in a structural and systematic way. A data structure may contain different type of data items.

Types of Data Structures
Data structure availability may vary based on programming languages. There are generally two types of data structures: linear and non-linear.

Linear Data Structures
A linear data structure has linearly arranged data items. The next item can be located in next memory address. It is stored and accessed in a sequential manner.
 * Lists
 * Arrays
 * Stacks
 * Queues

Non-Linear Data Structures
A non-linear data structure is one in which each data item is connected to several other data items, such that a data item has the possibility to reach one-or-more data items.
 * Hash Table
 * Heaps
 * Trees
 * Binary Search Trees
 * Graph

Operations on Data Structures
The following operations can be performed on any data structure:
 * Insertion: Adding a data item.
 * Deletion: Removing a data item.
 * Traversal: Accessing and/or printing all data items.
 * Searching: Finding a particular data item.
 * Sorting: Arranging data items in a pre-defined sequence.