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31:
149:
339:
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to help present the contents of the computer to the user in a fairly consistent way that frees the user from having to deal with absolute directory paths, which can vary between versions of
Windows, and between individual installations. Many operating systems also have the concept of "smart folders"
212:, Unix systems treat directories as a type of file. Caveats include not being able to write to a directory file except indirectly by creating, renaming and removing file system objects in the directory and only being able to read from a directory file using directory-specific library routines and
108:
are often used to describe the relationship between a subdirectory and the directory in which it is cataloged, the latter being the parent. The top-most directory in such a filesystem, which does not have a parent of its own, is called the
168:, meaning subdirectories were not supported; there were only a group of top-level directories, each containing files. In modern systems, a directory can contain a mix of files and subdirectories.
152:
Diagram of a hierarchical directory tree. The root directory is here called "MFD", for Master File
Directory. Usually a file can only be in one directory at a time, but here File 2 is
186:
in which they execute. Typically, file names accessed by the program are assumed to reside within this directory if the file names are not specified with an explicit directory name.
311:
refers to the way a structured list of document files and folders are stored on the computer. The distinction can be due to the way a directory is accessed; on Unix systems,
580:
197:
or project directory, thus isolating their activities from all other users. In early versions of Unix the root directory was the home directory of the
555:
292:
that reflect the results of a file system search or other operation. These folders do not represent a directory in the file hierarchy. Many
745:
245:
17:
296:
allow the creation of folders to organize email. These folders have no corresponding representation in the filesystem structure.
588:
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911:
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For local filesystems, DNLC entries normally expire only under pressure from other more recent entries. For
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Operating systems that support hierarchical filesystems (practically all modern ones) implement a form of
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The path specifies the disk name, or location, and all of the drawers that lead to the specified file.
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92:(that is, one in which files and directories are organized in a manner that resembles a
30:
999:
989:
882:
610:
634:"Organization and Retrieval of Records Generated in a Large-Scale Engineering Project"
1122:
875:
464:
370:
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183:
164:, the file systems either had no support for directories at all or had only a "flat"
35:
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is necessary to ensure that entries have not been invalidated by other clients.
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61:, and possibly other directories. On many computers, directories are known as
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Files are organized by storing related files in the same directory. In a
85:
that lists the phone numbers of all the people living in a certain area.
54:
338:
932:
249:
244:
used in offices, and used in a hierarchical file system design for the
137:
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as the desktop environment – is "inode/directory". This is not an
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46:
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96:), a directory contained inside another directory is called a
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125:
171:
A reference to a location in a directory system is called a
382:
124:
systems – including but not limited to systems using
693:"Close-To-Open Cache Consistency in the Linux NFS Client"
503:
229:
201:, but modern Unix usually uses another directory such as
256:' desktop environments. Folders are often depicted with
57:
cataloging structure which contains references to other
315:
is usually referred to as a directory when viewed in a
638:
Proceedings of the
Eastern Joint Computer Conference
1135:
631:
260:which visually resemble physical file folders.
248:(ERMA) Mark 1 published in 1958 as well as by
739:
746:
732:
540:. Commodore-Amiga. July 1991. p. 46.
613:. The Linux man-pages project. 2021-03-22
275:metaphor that is used to represent it (a
720:by The Linux Information Project (LINFO)
326:, users may sometimes call it a folder.
246:Electronic Recording Machine, Accounting
223:
216:that return records, not a byte-stream.
147:
29:
27:File system structure for locating files
553:
120:media type for directories within many
14:
1136:
687:
685:
322:, but if accessed through a graphical
160:Historically, and even on some modern
727:
632:Barnard III, G. A.; Fein, L. (1958).
81:. The name derives from books like a
660:""Xerox Star User Interface (1982)""
423:
333:
682:
41:window showing a directory listing.
24:
753:
219:
189:Some operating systems restrict a
25:
1165:
711:
156:so it appears in two directories.
611:"readdir(3) — Linux manual page"
337:
263:There is a difference between a
670:from the original on 2021-12-21
329:
307:is more appropriate. The term
252:, is used in almost all modern
240:, presenting an analogy to the
912:Hidden file / Hidden directory
652:
625:
603:
573:
554:Leonard, Thomas (2018-10-02).
547:
529:
389:(DNLC), although it is called
385:world, this is usually called
182:, programs have an associated
13:
1:
955:Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
585:Behavior Genetics Association
522:
445:Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
7:
1089:Comparison of file managers
888:List of filename extensions
556:"Shared MIME-info Database"
411:
387:Directory Name Lookup Cache
143:
10:
1170:
138:IANA registered media type
77:or the traditional office
1096:File system fragmentation
1056:
1013:
980:
920:
853:
761:
587:. c. 2002. Archived from
538:Using The AMIGA Workbench
299:If one is referring to a
228:Sample folder icon (from
900:Extended file attributes
808:Proprietary file formats
273:graphical user interface
90:hierarchical file system
18:Directory (file systems)
1149:File system directories
1101:File-system permissions
718:Definition of directory
536:"Chapter 1: Tutorial".
1154:File system management
581:"Everything is a File"
301:container of documents
233:
157:
42:
1144:Computer file systems
646:10.1109/AFIPS.1958.75
227:
193:access only to their
151:
33:
1116:File synchronization
965:Semantic file system
788:List of file formats
402:network file systems
283:uses the concept of
945:Directory structure
562:. Non-regular files
435:Directory structure
406:coherence mechanism
166:directory structure
83:telephone directory
883:Filename extension
666:. 28 August 2009.
349:. You can help by
234:
205:for this purpose.
158:
43:
1131:
1130:
1123:File verification
876:Filename mangling
803:Open file formats
591:on March 10, 2012
519:
518:
465:Working directory
367:
366:
281:Microsoft Windows
279:). For example,
271:concept, and the
254:operating systems
184:working directory
180:operating systems
36:Microsoft Windows
16:(Redirected from
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1079:Data compression
960:Grid file system
938:Temporary folder
928:Directory/folder
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695:. Citi.umich.edu
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381:lookups. In the
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208:In keeping with
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162:embedded systems
34:Screenshot of a
21:
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560:X Desktop Group
552:
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414:
363:
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347:needs expansion
332:
312:
290:virtual folders
285:special folders
222:
220:Folder metaphor
210:Unix philosophy
202:
146:
118:freedesktop.org
28:
23:
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845:Zero-byte file
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840:Temporary file
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755:Computer files
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712:External links
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509:tree (command)
506:
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499:pushd and popd
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460:Virtual folder
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455:Root directory
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450:Home directory
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195:home directory
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79:filing cabinet
59:computer files
39:command prompt
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1106:File transfer
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1048:Symbolic link
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871:Long filename
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489:dir (command)
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358:December 2013
352:
348:
345:This section
343:
340:
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318:
310:
306:
302:
297:
295:
294:email clients
291:
286:
282:
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274:
270:
267:, which is a
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107:
103:
100:. The terms
99:
95:
91:
86:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
40:
37:
32:
19:
1111:File sharing
1084:File manager
1074:File copying
927:
921:Organisation
866:8.3 filename
820:Sidecar file
798:Magic number
697:. Retrieved
672:. Retrieved
663:
654:
637:
627:
617:November 27,
615:. Retrieved
605:
593:. Retrieved
589:the original
584:
575:
564:. Retrieved
549:
541:
537:
531:
513:
479:cd (command)
399:
390:
386:
368:
355:
351:adding to it
346:
330:Lookup cache
324:file manager
317:command line
308:
304:
300:
298:
276:
264:
262:
237:
235:
214:system calls
207:
188:
177:
170:
159:
130:KDE Plasma 5
115:
110:
105:
101:
98:subdirectory
97:
87:
66:
62:
50:
44:
950:File system
835:System file
825:Sparse file
783:File format
769:Binary file
699:19 November
674:19 November
418:File folder
303:, the term
269:file system
242:file folder
154:hard linked
134:ROX Desktop
113:directory.
55:file system
1138:Categories
1057:Management
982:Operations
933:NTFS links
854:Properties
566:2023-03-13
523:References
377:of recent
250:Xerox Star
1026:Hard link
907:File size
830:Swap file
778:Data file
773:text file
640:: 59–63.
595:April 30,
313:/usr/bin/
309:directory
265:directory
236:The name
199:root user
122:Unix-like
75:workbench
71:analogous
51:directory
47:computing
1031:Shortcut
861:Filename
815:Metafile
668:Archived
473:Commands
440:Filename
429:Concepts
412:See also
178:In many
144:Overview
1014:Linking
664:YouTube
371:caching
320:console
67:drawers
63:folders
1064:Backup
1041:Shadow
514:
484:chroot
391:dcache
305:folder
277:folder
238:folder
191:user's
102:parent
1036:Alias
1005:Write
995:Close
762:Types
494:mkdir
395:Linux
258:icons
203:/root
132:, or
126:GNOME
106:child
73:to a
65:, or
53:is a
1000:Read
990:Open
972:Path
701:2014
676:2014
619:2022
597:2021
383:Unix
379:path
173:path
116:The
111:root
104:and
94:tree
49:, a
642:doi
504:pwd
393:on
375:RAM
373:to
353:.
288:or
230:KDE
45:In
1140::
771:/
684:^
662:.
636:.
583:.
558:.
404:a
397:.
232:).
175:.
140:.
128:,
69:,
747:e
740:t
733:v
703:.
678:.
648:.
644::
621:.
599:.
569:.
360:)
356:(
20:)
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