Data conversion definition
Data conversion refers to the process of transforming data from one format, structure, or system to another. This can be as simple as manually converting a file to a different format, automating data conversion between one database to another, integrating data from different sources, and converting data to support specific analysis or reporting requirements.
See also: data exfiltration, data mining
How data conversion works
- 1.Data extraction. The data is identified and extracted from the source system or application. This can involve exporting data from a database or extracting data from a file.
- 2.Data transformation. The extracted data is transformed to the desired format or structure. This involves converting data types, modifying data structures, and mapping data fields between source and target systems.
- 3.Data loading. After the data has been transformed, it is loaded into the target system such as a database or an application.
Data conversion examples
- Converting a file from one format to another, such as converting a Microsoft Word document to a PDF file or converting an image file from JPEG to PNG.
- Database migration. Moving data from one database system to another, such as migrating data from MySQL to Microsoft SQL Server.
- Web data extraction. Extracting data from web pages and converting it to a structured format, such as extracting product data from an e-commerce website and converting it to a CSV file.
- Data normalization. Converting data to a standardized format, such as converting date and time data to a specific format, to ensure consistency across systems.
