Data element is a computer science term. It is the basic unit of data, and data elements are also called nodes or records. It is usually considered and processed as a whole in a computer program.

Sometimes, a data element can be composed of several data items, for example, the bibliographic information of a book is a data element, and each bibliographic information (such as book title, author name, etc.). ) is a data item. A data item is the smallest indivisible unit of data.

Data elements are composed of object classes, features and representations, in which object classes are used to collect and store data, such as people, wells, cores, pipelines and storage tanks. Features are used to distinguish and describe objects, such as color, gender, age, income, address and price.

The most important aspect of data representation is range, which is the set of allowable values of data elements. For ranges, there are two types of ranges in data elements. One is that the value is fixed, that is, the value is enumerable, such as the data element of human eye color.

Basic theory:

1. data element: it is the basic unit of data and consists of data items. Under different conditions, data elements can also be called elements, nodes, vertices, records and so on. A data element is a data unit that defines, identifies, represents and allows values with a set of attributes.

2. Data element value/metadata: the value in the allowable value set of a data element.

3. Data item: A data item is the smallest identification unit with independent meaning, the specific value of a data element, and the most basic and inseparable well-known data unit in data records.

4. Synonymous name: the concept of data elements that are different from the given name but represent the same.