ABSTRACT
The field of computing grew out of applications characterized by input-output problems. Businesses tabulate sales and inventory figures, producing quarterly reports. Scientific applications process experimental data, generating statistical summaries, graphs, and charts. Recent computing needs transcend simple reports: they require interactive, mobile, and dynamic data sharing. That said, the basics of how most software works depends on some form of handling input datasets and creating results in desired, standard formats. Though new formats for output include video or 3D descriptions (there are now so-called 3D printers that manufacture objects from software designs), it is still a good idea to learn simple character formats using ASCII, which is what this chapter offers.
