What are the differences between flattening and nesting data structures?

What are the differences between flattening and nesting data structures?

Flattening data structures involves converting nested structures into a single-level structure, while nesting keeps data organized in layers.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! For flattening, consider a list of lists: [[1, 2], [3, 4]] becomes [1, 2, 3, 4]. For nesting, a JSON object can have properties that are objects themselves, like {"name": "John", "address": {"city": "NY"}}.

What are the advantages of using one over the other?

Flattening can simplify data access and processing, while nesting can enhance data organization and readability.

When should I choose to flatten data?

You should consider flattening data when you need to perform operations that require easy access to individual elements, like in data analysis or when working with certain databases.