Folder (computing)

Screenshot of a Windows command prompt window showing filenames in a directory

In computing, a folder, directory,^[1] catalog,^{[citation needed]} or drawer,^[2] is a virtual container originally derived from an earlier Object-oriented programming concept by the same name^[3] within a digital file system, in which groups of computer files and other folders can be kept and organized.

A typical file system may contain thousands (or even hundreds of thousands) of folders. Files are kept organized by storing related files in the same folder. The folder can also be referred to as the root. A folder contained inside another folder is called a subfolder, subdirectory, or child of that folder. Together, the folders form a hierarchy, or tree structure.

Overview

Historically, and even on some modern embedded devices, the file systems either have no support for folders at all or only have a flat directory structure, meaning subfolders are not allowed; there is only a group of top-level folders each containing files. The first popular fully general hierarchical file system was that of Multics. This type of file system was an early research interest of Dennis Ritchie.

Most modern Unix-like systems, especially Linux, have a standard folder structure defined by the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.

In many operating systems, programs have an associated working directory in which they execute. Typically file names accessed by the program are assumed to reside within this folder if the file names are not specified with an explicit folder name.

Some operating systems restrict a user's access to only their home directory or project folder, thus isolating their activities from all other users.

Unix systems treat folders as a type of file.^[4]

The folder metaphor

Sample folder icon (KDE)

The name folder, presenting an analogy to the file folder used in offices, and used originally by Apple Lisa,^[5] is used in almost all modern operating systems' desktop environments. Folders are often depicted with icons which visually resemble physical file folders.

Strictly speaking, there is a difference between a directory which is a file system concept, and the graphical user interface metaphor that is used to represent it (a folder). For example, Microsoft Windows uses the concept of special folders 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.

If one is referring to a container of documents, the term folder is more appropriate. The term directory refers to the way a structured list of document files and folders is stored on the computer. It is comparable to a telephone directory that contains lists of names, numbers and addresses and does not contain the actual documents themselves.

See also

Cd command Chroot system call Directory structure Dired Filename Mkdir command

Pushd and popd commands Root directory Web directory Working directory Virtual folder

References

1. ^ Murach, Joel (2006). Murach's C# 2005. Mike Murach & Associates. pp. 34. ISBN 978-1-890774-37-0. http://www.murach.com/books/csh5/. "With the introduction of Windows 95, Microsoft started referring to directories as folders." 
2. ^ "Chapter 1: Tutorial". Using The AMIGA Workbench. Commodore-Amiga. July 1991. p. 46. "The path specifies the disk name, or location, and all of the drawers that lead to the specified file." 
3. ^ "An annotated history of early OOP techniques: 1952-1985" ([1], page 8)^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "Everything is a File" (Unix System Administration Independent Learning)
5. ^ "Apple Designs a New Kind of Machine"

External links

• Definition of directory by The Linux Information Project (LINFO)