Series, Arrays and Data Frames

Series, Arrays and Data Frames

1. Definitions

   • series
     • A Series is a one-dimensional object that can hold any data type such as integers, floats and strings
   • arrays
     • In programming, a series of objects all of which are the same size and type. Each object in an array is called an array element. For example, you could have an array of integers or an array of characters or an array of anything that has a defined data type.
   • data frames
     • A data frame is a table-like data structure available in languages like R and Python. Statisticians, scientists, and programmers use them in data analysis code.

2. Differences

   • series are order sequences of heterogeneous elements, the data type doesn´t have to be the same. While in arrays, the elements have to be homogeneous, it means the same data type.
   • arrays are sequence types and behave similar to lists, except that the types of objects stored is constrained: the type is specified at object creation type
   • arrays have an array class within modules (while list and series doesn´t)
     • they are new arrays whose items are restricted by typecode and initialized from the optional initializer value

3. similarities

   • lists and arrays:
     • storing data
     • mutable
     • can be indexed
     • slicing operator