POSITION:028,114
COLOUR:STANDARD
TEXT:00,The idea of retrieving and storing data outside the program makes good
TEXT:16,sense, for three reasons. First of all, the data can be edited without
TEXT:16,the program itself being changed. Second, if more than one program
TEXT:16,uses the same kind of data (like an employee list), there is no data
TEXT:16,duplication. The programs share the same data instead of each program
TEXT:16,having its own copy of the data. Finally, having the ability to send
TEXT:16,data outside the program means the data can be made presentable to
TEXT:16,human eyes. Up to now, you have taken the word of this tutorial and its
TEXT:16,author that what is stored in the variables of example programs was the
TEXT:16,case. In real life, people need more than that in the form of printed
TEXT:16,reports and spreadsheet figures on the screen.
TEXT:32,Data that is accepted by a program is called "input". Data that is
TEXT:16,produced by a program is called "output".
