A data processing system is a combination of

machine A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecul ...

s, people, and processes that for a set of inputs produces a defined set of outputs. The inputs and outputs are interpreted as

data In the pursuit of knowledge, data (; ) is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpret ...

fact A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scie ...

information Information is an abstract concept that refers to that which has the power to inform. At the most fundamental level information pertains to the interpretation of that which may be sensed. Any natural process that is not completely random, ...

etc. depending on the interpreter's relation to the system. A term commonly used synonymously with ''data or storage (codes) processing system'' is ''

information system An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, store, and distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems are composed by four components: task, people ...

''. With regard particularly to electronic data processing, the corresponding concept is referred to as electronic data processing system. A data processing system may involve some combination of: *

Conversion Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

converting data to another form or Language. * Validation – Ensuring that supplied data is "clean, correct and useful." *

Sorting Sorting refers to ordering data in an increasing or decreasing manner according to some linear relationship among the data items. # ordering: arranging items in a sequence ordered by some criterion; # categorizing: grouping items with similar pro ...

– "arranging items in some sequence and/or in different sets." * Summarization – reducing detail data to its main points. * Aggregation – combining multiple pieces of data. *

Analysis Analysis ( : analyses) is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (3 ...

– the "collection, organization, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data.". * Reporting – list detail or summary data or computed information. The first machines used for

data processing Data processing is the collection and manipulation of digital data to produce meaningful information. Data processing is a form of '' information processing'', which is the modification (processing) of information in any manner detectable by ...

were punched card machines, now

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ( computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These prog ...

s are used.

Types of data processing systems

By application area

Scientific data processing

Scientific data processing "usually involves a great deal of computation (arithmetic and comparison operations) upon a relatively small amount of input data, resulting in a small volume of output."

Commercial data processing

Commercial data processing "involves a large volume of input data, relatively few computational operations, and a large volume of output." Accounting programs are the prototypical examples of data processing applications. Information Systems (IS) is the field that studies such organizational computer systems.

Data analysis

Data analysis Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, enc ...

is a body of methods that help to describe facts, detect patterns, develop explanations, and test hypotheses." For example, data analysis might be used to look at sales and customer data to "identify connections between products to allow for cross selling campaigns."

By service type

Transaction processing system Transaction processing is a way of computing that divides work into individual, indivisible operations, called transactions. A transaction processing system (TPS) is a computer software, software system, or software/computer hardware, hardware co ...

s * Information storage and retrieval systems * Command and control systems * Computing service systems * Process control system * Message switching system

Examples

Simple example

A very simple example of a data processing system is the process of maintaining a check register. Transactions— checks and deposits— are recorded as they occur and the transactions are summarized to determine a current balance. Monthly the data recorded in the register is reconciled with a hopefully identical list of transactions processed by the bank. A more sophisticated record keeping system might further identify the transactions— for example deposits by source or checks by type, such as charitable contributions. This information might be used to obtain information like the total of all contributions for the year. The important thing about this example is that it is a ''system'', in which, all transactions are recorded consistently, and the same method of bank reconciliation is used each time.

Real-world example

This is a

flowchart A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents a workflow or process. A flowchart can also be defined as a diagrammatic representation of an algorithm, a step-by-step approach to solving a task. The flowchart shows the steps as boxes of ...

of a data processing system combining manual and computerized processing to handle accounts receivable, billing, and general ledger