Databases can also be classified to reflect the degree to which the data are structured. Unstructured data are data
that exist in their original (raw) state—that is, in the format in which they were collected. Therefore, unstructured data
exist in a format that does not lend itself to the processing that yields information. Structured data are the result of
formatting unstructured data to facilitate storage, use, and the generation of information. You apply structure (format)
based on the type of processing that you intend to perform on the data. Some data might not be ready (unstructured)
for some types of processing, but they might be ready (structured) for other types of processing. For example, the data
value 37890 might refer to a zip code, a sales value, or a product code. If this value represents a zip code or a product
code and is stored as text, you cannot perform mathematical computations with it. On the other hand, if this value
represents a sales transaction, it must be formatted as numeric.