Computer File Management - Concept of The Hierarchy of Files

Concept of The Hierarchy of Files

Files can also be managed based on their location on a storage device. They are stored in a storage medium in binary form. Physically, the data is placed in a not-so-well organized structure, due to fragmentation. However, the grouping of files into directories (for operating systems such as DOS, Unix, Linux) or folders (for the Mac OS and Windows) is done by changing an index of file information known as the File Allocation Table (NTFS for recent versions of Windows) or Master File Table (depending on operating system used). In this index, the physical location of a particular file on the storage medium is stored, as well as its position in the hierarchy of directories (as we see it using commands such as DIR, LS and programs such as Explorer, Finder).

On Unix/Linux machines the hierarchy is:

  • The root directory (/)
    • Directories (/usr "user" or /dev "device")
      • Sub-directories (/usr/local)
        • Files: data, devices, links, etc. (/usr/local/readme.txt or /dev/hda1, which is the hard disk device)

For DOS/Windows the hierarchy (along with examples):

  • Drive (C:)
    • Directory/Folder (C:\My Documents)
      • Sub-directory/Sub-folder (C:\My Documents\My Pictures)
        • File (C:\My Documents\My Pictures\VacationPhoto.jpg)

Commands such as:

  • Unix/Linux: cp, mv
  • DOS: copy, move
  • Windows: the Cut/Copy/Paste commands in the Edit menu of Explorer

can be used to manage (copy or move) the files to and from other directories.

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