FILE CLASSIFICATION

Computer files can be classified as follows:

• Master file
• Transaction file
• Reference file

Master File:
This is a file containing relatively permanent information, usually updated periodically, e.g
customer ledger, payroll, inventory, etc. it is a file that can be used as an authoritative source of
data when carrying out a particular job on the computer. Master files contain descriptive data.

Transaction File:
This is a collection of transaction records. The data in transaction file is used to update the
master file that contains the data about the subject of the organization. (customers, employees,
vendors, etc.). Transaction files also serve as audit trails and history of the organization.
Reference File:
In computer science, a reference is a value that enables a program to indirectly access a
particular data item, such as variable or a record, in the computer’s memory or in some other
storage device. Reference file contains data that are to be permanently stored. Amendment to
records on it are usually not frequent. It stores data that are used as reference for processing of
transaction

CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFYING COMPUTER FILES

Computer files can be classified according to the following criteria:
(i) Nature of Content: Files of similar contents are classified together. Examples aere database
files, worksheet files, etc
(ii) Organization method: The organization methods include sequential methods, random
methods, etc.
(iii) Storage medium: a storage medium is any technology used to place, keep and retrieve data.

EVALUATION
(i) List and explain the methods of classifying files
(ii) Highlight the criteria require to classify files

GENERAL EVALUATION
(i) State the difference between Master file and Transaction file
(ii) List two classes of computer files
(iii) Which is the best method of accessing the following types of file;
➢ Serial files = ................................................ Access
➢ Sequential files = ............................................ Access
➢ Indexed files = ........................................ Access
➢ Random files = ........................................ Access

READING ASSIGNMENT
Study the topic ‘HANDLING COMPUTER FILES’ using your students’ textbook

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT
1. A computer file that is used as an authority in a given job that is relatively permanent is
called ................. (a) transaction file (b) reference file (c) master file (d) random file
2. A computer file of data that is kept so that it could be referred to is called ....................
(a) transaction file (b) reference file (c) master file (d) authority file
3. The data in a .................................. file is used to update the master file, which contains the
data about the subject of the organization.
(a) transaction file (b) reference file (c) master file (d) authority file
4. Which of the following is NOT a method of accessing files?
(a) Random (b) Selection (c) Serial (d) Sequential
5. Which of the following is not a criteria for classifying files?
(a)Nature of content (b) Organization method(c)Storage medium(d) Correction methods
5. Which one of these is not a data item?
(a) Numeric data (b) Alphabetic data (c) Letter data (d) Alphanumemeric data
ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. List and Explain the methods for classifying files
2. State the similarity between Master file and Reference file.

TOPIC: HANDLING COMPUTER FILES I (PRACTICAL)

(a) Basic operations on computer files (b) Steps involved in creating sequential files (c) Steps
involved in accessing sequential file (d) basic file processing statements (e) effects of file
insecurity: data loss and insecurity.
1: BASIC OPERATIONS ON A COMPUTER FILE.

The following are some operations that can be performed on a computer file;

(i) File creation: Creating a file with a given name

(ii) File Deletion: Deleting files that are no longer wanted
(iii) File retrieval: Retrieving a lose file or stored file.
(iv) File copy: Copying a created file to either an external or in-built storage device.
(v) File view: Viewing a created file or granting privilege of viewing.
(vi) File Update: Reading or changing the content of a file.
(vii) File Open: Opening the content of a file on the screen.
(viii) File Close: Losing access to a file by closing, until it is opened again.

EVALUATION:
1. Outline five (5) basic operations on a computer file.

2: STEPS INVOLVED IN CREATING AND ACCESSING SEQUENTIAL FILES.

Meaning of Sequential File: A sequential file is a file that is read from start to finish, character
by character or line by line in a chronological order.

The following are steps involved in the creation of sequential files:

1. Open the file in Output(0) mode i.e. OPEN “0” #1” filename
2. OPEN
3. The OPEN command is used to open files - that is, it makes files available so that Basic
can read or write to them. The general form of the command is
OPEN "filename" FOR mode AS #filenumber .

4. Write data to the file using the PRINT# or WRITE# statements:

PRINT#1, A$
PRINT#1, B$
PRINT#1, C$
5. To access the data in the file, you must close the file and reopen it in input mode:
CLOSE#1
OPEN “I”, #1,” filename
6. Use the INPUT# or LINE INPUT# statement to the read data from the sequential file into
the program:
INPUT#, X$,Y$,Z$
 The example below can help us access a sequential file:
10 OPEN “I”, #1, “DATA”
20 INPUT#1, N$, D$, H$
30 IF RIGHT$ (H$, 2) =”78” THEN PRINT N$
40 GOTO 20
50 CLOSE #1
RUN
JOHN AYO
SUPERMANN
Input past end in 20
OK

EVALUATION:
1. List the steps involved in creating sequential files.
2. What is a sequential file?
3: EFFECTS OF FILE INSECURITY
File Insecurity refers to the concepts that a computer system is vulnerable to attack, thereby
affecting the files in the system.
Effects of file insecurity include;
1. Data Loss: This refers to the unforeseen loss of data or information.
Causes of data loss:
(i) Human error
(ii) Computer virus
(iii) Natural disaster
(iv) Hardware or system problem
(v) Software corruption or program problem.

2. Overwriting: This is a process of writing a binary set of data on a memory. Overwriting

generally occurs when unused files system clusters are written upon with new data. In
general it writes over the previous data.

EVALUATION:
1. Explain any two effects of file insecurity.

GENERAL EVALUATION:
1. What is ‘overwriting’?
2. Define file insecurity.

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Students are expected to read ‘methods of file security’ of Handbook on Computer studies for
SS2.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT:
1. All these can be performed on an existing file except
(a) Copy (b) View (c) Delete (d) Creation
2. ‘E O F’ statement is used in ------- file.
(a) Creating (b) Reading (c) Closing (d) Deleting
3. Writing of binary set of data on a memory is called--------
(a) Computer file (b) Manual file (c)data loss(d) Overwriting
4. A file that is read from start to finish is called--------
(a) Logic file (b) sequential file (c) dotted file (d) overwrite file.
5. ------------ is not a basic computer file operation
(a) Delete (b) Open (c) View (d) Pause