A filename (also written as two words, file name) is a name used to uniquely identify a computer file stored in a file system. Different file systems impose different restrictions on filename lengths and the allowed characters within filenames.
A filename may include one or more of these components:
- host (or node or server) – network device that contains the file
- device (or drive) – hardware device or drive
- directory (or path) – directory tree (e.g., /usr/bin, \TEMP, etc.)
- file – base name of the file
- type (format or extension) – indicates the content type of the file (e.g., .txt, .exe, .COM, etc.)
- version – revision or generation number of the file
The components required to identify a file varies across operating systems, as does the syntax and format for a valid filename.
Read more about Filename: History, References: Absolute Vs Relative, Number of Names Per File, Length Restrictions, Filename Extensions, Encoding Interoperability, Uniqueness, Letter Case Preservation, Reserved Characters and Words, Usage, Comparison of Filename Limitations