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Data vs Cache - What's the difference?

data | cache |

In computing terms the difference between data and cache

is that data is a representation of facts or ideas in a formalized manner capable of being communicated or manipulated by some process while cache is a fast temporary storage where recently or frequently used information is stored to avoid having to reload it from a slower storage medium.

As nouns the difference between data and cache

is that data is plural of lang=enCategory:English plurals: Pieces of information while cache is a store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.

As a verb cache is

to place in a cache.

data

English

Alternative forms

* (electronics)

Noun

(wikipedia data) (-) or plural noun
  • English plurals: Pieces of information.
  • (uncountable, collectively) Information, especially in a scientific or computational context.
  • *
  • With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=76, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Snakes and ladders , passage=Risk is everywhere.
  • (computing) A representation of facts or ideas in a formalized manner capable of being communicated or manipulated by some process.
  • Usage notes

    * This word is more often used as an uncountable noun with a singular verb than as a plural noun with singular datum. * The definition of data'' in the computing context is from an international standard vocabulary] and is meant to distinguish ''data'' from ''information . However, this distinction is largely ignored by the computing profession.[http://eprints.utas.edu.au/1957/1/Cm1My.pdf

    Derived terms

    * big data * databank * database * datasheet * data acquisition * data analysis * data domain * data element * data entry * data farming * data hiding * data integrity * data maintenance * data management * data mining * data modeling * data path, datapath * data processing * data recovery * data set * data sink * data source * data warehouse * metadata * primary data * raw data

    References

    * (The American Heritage Dictionary's usage note on 'data') * Calpundit: YOU SAY DAY-TA, I SAY DAA-TA * John Quiggin: Data is not the plural of datum * johnaugust.com: ‘Data’ is singular

    cache

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A store of things that may be required in the future, which can be retrieved rapidly, protected or hidden in some way.
  • Members of the 29-man Discovery team laid down food caches''' to allow the polar team to travel light, hopping from food '''cache''' to food '''cache on their return journey.
  • (computing) A fast temporary storage where recently or frequently used information is stored to avoid having to reload it from a slower storage medium.
  • (geocaching) A container containing treasure in a global treasure-hunt game.
  • References

    * JP 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

    Verb

    (cach)
  • To place in a cache.
  • (Marijuana smoking) For the herb in a bowl to be entirely burnt to ashes and therefore having become empty, gone, or useless for further smoking