A data set or dataset is a collection of data, usually presented in tabular form. Each column represents a particular variable. each row corresponds to a given member of the data set in question. Its values for each of the variables, such as height and weight of an object or values of the random numbers. Each value is known as a datum. The data set may comprise data for one or more members, corresponding to the number of rows

Nontabular dat sets can take the form of marked up strings of characters, such as an XML file.

Almost all data sets, although they may often be written using high-level languages and base-ten numbers, end up transcoded into machine language for processing the computer involved. Thus, for all their semantic diversity and tabular or nontabular forms, most datasets can be expressed in binary code as a long string of zeros and ones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_set

last accessed 28 November 2011

1. •data set
   

1. 1)A data file or collection of interrelated data. The term is used in the mainframe community, whereas file is used almost everywhere else.
   

2. 2)A modern in AT&T terminology
   

1. •data set
   

(computer science)

A named collection of similar and related data records recorded upon some computer-readable medium

A data file in IBM 360 terminology

(operating system, storage) data set - An IBM term for a file

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/DataSet

last accessed 28 november 2011