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Directory (computing)

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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
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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.
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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,
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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
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that reflect the results of a file system search or other operation. These folders do not represent a directory in the file hierarchy. Many
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allow the creation of folders to organize email. These folders have no corresponding representation in the filesystem structure.
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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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is necessary to ensure that entries have not been invalidated by other clients.
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Files are organized by storing related files in the same directory. In a
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that lists the phone numbers of all the people living in a certain area.
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used in offices, and used in a hierarchical file system design for the
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as the desktop environment – is "inode/directory". This is not an
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A reference to a location in a directory system is called a
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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
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is usually referred to as a directory when viewed in a
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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 1161: 1079:Data compression 960:Grid file system 938:Temporary folder 928:Directory/folder 748: 741: 734: 725: 724: 705: 704: 702: 700: 695:. Citi.umich.edu 689: 680: 679: 677: 675: 656: 650: 649: 629: 623: 622: 620: 618: 607: 601: 600: 598: 596: 577: 571: 570: 568: 567: 551: 545: 544: 533: 424: 381:lookups. In the 362: 359: 341: 334: 314: 208:In keeping with 204: 162:embedded systems 34:Screenshot of a 21: 1169: 1168: 1164: 1163: 1162: 1160: 1159: 1158: 1134: 1133: 1132: 1127: 1069:File comparison 1052: 1021:File descriptor 1009: 976: 916: 849: 793:File signatures 757: 752: 714: 709: 708: 698: 696: 691: 690: 683: 673: 671: 658: 657: 653: 630: 626: 616: 614: 609: 608: 604: 594: 592: 579: 578: 574: 565: 563: 560:X Desktop Group 552: 548: 535: 534: 530: 525: 520: 414: 363: 357: 354: 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: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1167: 1157: 1156: 1151: 1146: 1129: 1128: 1126: 1125: 1120: 1119: 1118: 1113: 1103: 1098: 1093: 1092: 1091: 1081: 1076: 1071: 1066: 1060: 1058: 1054: 1053: 1051: 1050: 1045: 1044: 1043: 1038: 1028: 1023: 1017: 1015: 1011: 1010: 1008: 1007: 1002: 997: 992: 986: 984: 978: 977: 975: 974: 969: 968: 967: 962: 957: 947: 942: 941: 940: 935: 924: 922: 918: 917: 915: 914: 909: 904: 903: 902: 895:File attribute 892: 891: 890: 880: 879: 878: 873: 868: 857: 855: 851: 850: 848: 847: 845:Zero-byte file 842: 840:Temporary file 837: 832: 827: 822: 817: 812: 811: 810: 805: 800: 795: 790: 780: 775: 765: 763: 759: 758: 755:Computer files 751: 750: 743: 736: 728: 722: 721: 713: 712:External links 710: 707: 706: 681: 651: 624: 602: 572: 546: 527: 526: 524: 521: 517: 516: 512: 511: 509:tree (command) 506: 501: 499:pushd and popd 496: 491: 486: 481: 475: 474: 469: 468: 467: 462: 460:Virtual folder 457: 455:Root directory 452: 450:Home directory 447: 442: 437: 431: 430: 422: 421: 420: 413: 410: 365: 364: 344: 342: 331: 328: 221: 218: 195:home directory 145: 142: 79:filing cabinet 59:computer files 39:command prompt 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1166: 1155: 1152: 1150: 1147: 1145: 1142: 1141: 1139: 1124: 1121: 1117: 1114: 1112: 1109: 1108: 1107: 1106:File transfer 1104: 1102: 1099: 1097: 1094: 1090: 1087: 1086: 1085: 1082: 1080: 1077: 1075: 1072: 1070: 1067: 1065: 1062: 1061: 1059: 1055: 1049: 1048:Symbolic link 1046: 1042: 1039: 1037: 1034: 1033: 1032: 1029: 1027: 1024: 1022: 1019: 1018: 1016: 1012: 1006: 1003: 1001: 998: 996: 993: 991: 988: 987: 985: 983: 979: 973: 970: 966: 963: 961: 958: 956: 953: 952: 951: 948: 946: 943: 939: 936: 934: 931: 930: 929: 926: 925: 923: 919: 913: 910: 908: 905: 901: 898: 897: 896: 893: 889: 886: 885: 884: 881: 877: 874: 872: 871:Long filename 869: 867: 864: 863: 862: 859: 858: 856: 852: 846: 843: 841: 838: 836: 833: 831: 828: 826: 823: 821: 818: 816: 813: 809: 806: 804: 801: 799: 796: 794: 791: 789: 786: 785: 784: 781: 779: 776: 774: 770: 767: 766: 764: 760: 756: 749: 744: 742: 737: 735: 730: 729: 726: 719: 716: 715: 694: 688: 686: 669: 665: 661: 655: 647: 643: 639: 635: 628: 612: 606: 590: 586: 582: 576: 561: 557: 550: 543: 539: 532: 528: 515: 510: 507: 505: 502: 500: 497: 495: 492: 490: 489:dir (command) 487: 485: 482: 480: 477: 476: 472: 471: 470: 466: 463: 461: 458: 456: 453: 451: 448: 446: 443: 441: 438: 436: 433: 432: 428: 427: 426: 425: 419: 416: 415: 409: 407: 403: 398: 396: 392: 388: 384: 380: 376: 372: 361: 358:December 2013 352: 348: 345:This section 343: 340: 336: 335: 327: 325: 321: 318: 310: 306: 302: 297: 295: 294:email clients 291: 286: 282: 278: 274: 270: 267:, which is a 266: 261: 259: 255: 251: 247: 243: 239: 231: 226: 217: 215: 211: 206: 200: 196: 192: 187: 185: 181: 176: 174: 169: 167: 163: 155: 150: 141: 139: 135: 131: 127: 123: 119: 114: 112: 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:)

Index

Directory (file systems)

Microsoft Windows
command prompt
computing
file system
computer files
analogous
workbench
filing cabinet
telephone directory
hierarchical file system
tree
freedesktop.org
Unix-like
GNOME
KDE Plasma 5
ROX Desktop
IANA registered media type

hard linked
embedded systems
directory structure
path
operating systems
working directory
user's
home directory
root user
Unix philosophy

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