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File Management

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2 views

File Management

Uploaded by

velente Abunastic Gabriel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FILE MANAGEMENT

Paths and Trees and Folders


OUTLINE
Operating Systems
File Basics
File Names, Extensions
Directories, Folders, and Paths
File Formats
File Management
File(Windows) Explorer
Zipping files
Shortcuts
OPERATING SYSTEMS
 Every computer runs programs (applications)
that help you do your work, like word
processors and browsers.
 Every computer needs software that knows

the details of the particular hardware you


have and can communicate with all your
applications and with you. This is the
Operating System.
 Several kinds of OS’s – Windows 7, 8, 10,

Linux, MacOS, Unix, Android


 All operating systems have the important job

of keeping track of your files: where they are,


what’s in them, what they are named.
FILES
 When you use an application to do work - e.g.,
write a paper, make a spreadsheet, or draw a
picture, the work is stored in RAM (memory) first
 It is in danger of being lost if the power goes off

(RAM is volatile!)
 When you save it, it is copied to a secondary

storage device like the hard drive or a flash


drive
 It is saved as a FILE with a name, extension,

time, date, size


 The extension, if there is one, is at the right
end of the name, with a period before it, like
file1.abc
FILE NAMES AND EXTENSIONS
 You must adhere to file-naming conventions when
saving files
 Case sensitivity – upper and lower case are different
 True in Linux and Unix variations, not in Windows

 If “ABC” and “abc” are different names, it IS case

sensitive
 Maximum length (Windows 260 characters)
 Spaces allowed – be careful if using multiple spaces, can
you see the difference between 2 spaces and three
spaces?
 Digits allowed
 \ / : * ? " < > | not allowed
 File extensions provide clues to the file contents
 OS uses extensions to know which application
created the file and the internal format of the file
STANDARD FILENAME EXTENSIONS

Extension Type of Document Application
.doc or .docx Word processing Microsoft Word
document
.xls or .xlsx Workbook Microsoft Excel
.ppt or .pptx PowerPoint presentation MS PowerPoint
.accdb Database Microsoft Access
.gif, .jpg, .pn Images Windows Image
g Viewer
.mp4, .mp3 Videos, audio Windows Media
.zip Compressed file WinZip
.pdf Portable Document Adobe Acrobat
Format
.htm or .html Web page Hypertext Markup
Language
HOW TO MAKE EXTENSIONS VISIBLE
IN WINDOWS
 Windows default is NOT to show the
common extensions of filenames but
we want to SEE them!
 Open a Windows Explorer window

 Choose Organize tab

 Choose Folder and search options

 Choose View tab

 UNcheck the box that says “Hide

extensions for known file types”


 Choose “Apply to Folders”
FILE SYSTEMS – DRIVES

 Every computer has a file system used to


keep track of the files on that machine
 File systems are based on physical storage

devices, known as drives


 Drives can be local or remote (network or

cloud)
 Click on “My Computer” or “This PC” to

see a list of drives (on a Windows


machine)
FILE SYSTEMS – DRIVES

 Typical Drives
 A: or B:  Floppy Disk
 C:  Local Hard Drive
 D:  CD Drive
 E-Z for removable drives like memory sticks
 About any letter can be used for a partition
of a device
FILE SYSTEMS – PARTITIONS

 Note that a “partition” is not a physical device,


although it looks like one to the OS.
 Why have a partition? At one point Windows
could only handle storage devices of a certain
size. If your hard drive was larger than that size,
you could not access the entire device.
Partitions fool the OS into thinking that one
device is two (or more!) devices, each with their
own letter and file system So by accessing the
two devices, you could use all your storage.
 You will find disks partitioned even today, when
some space is used for a specific need, like a
backup
SAMPLE DISK PARTITION
FILE MANAGEMENT
 The operating system provides an
organizational structure to the computer’s
data and programs
 Hierarchical structure of directories:

 Drives
 Folders
 and more Folders …

Files

 Storage metaphors help you visualize


and mentally organize the files on your
disks and other storage devices
A FILE SYSTEM TREE (2 DEVICES)
FILE MANAGEMENT METAPHORS
 Tree Metaphor
 Root, branches, leaves

 Filing Cabinet Metaphor


 Drawers, Folders, Files
FILE DIRECTORIES AND FOLDERS
 Every storage device has a directory
containing a list of its files
 Root directory (like “C:\”)
 Subdirectory
 Depicted as folders
 A computer’s file location is defined by a
path
 Examples: D:\ is the root of the D drive

 Examples: C:\Notes\CS 101\Week 1\

notes.txt
 Examples: F:\1999\Music\CDs\Prince\
REASONS FOR USING FOLDERS
• Organization of files makes them easier to
find, less stress
• Easier to manipulate groups of files as one
thing – moving, copying, deleting, mailing
• Allows reuse of filenames, as long as the files
are in different paths – you can have two
“A.txt” files as long as they are in different
folders
• Can use different applications on the same
files – create a file with Excel, zip it with
Winzip, 7zip, etc. Create a video mp4 file
with Zoom, play it with Windows Media
WHERE IS MY DESKTOP??
• The Desktop Is really just another folder!
• On Windows, it is at C:\Users\yourusername\
Desktop\
• On MacOS, it is
/Users/yourusername/Desktop/
• If an application leaves you at the root of
your C: drive, you should be able to navigate
to your Desktop!
• If you use the Virtual Den to be able to use
MS Access, you will need to know this!
FILE FORMATS
 A file format refers to the organization and
layout of data that is stored in a file
 A file extension usually indicates the format

of a file and the application which was used


to create the file
 But it does not have to! Just changing

the extension on a file from xlsx to zip


does not make the file a zip file! It
needs to be converted from a
spreadsheet to a zipped file using the
zip application.
APPLICATIONS AND FILES
 Most applications that create files have a file
menu
 Choices will include Save and Save As
 Save saves using same filename, if has been saved
once already
 Save asks for new name if it has not been saved
before
 Save As asks for new name and saves new copy of
file
 Rename – allows you to change the name of
the current file
FILE EXPLORER

 File Explorer (also known as Windows


Explorer) helps you manipulate files
and folders in the following ways:
 Rename
 Copy
 Move
 Delete
 Windows offers a set of
preconfigured personal folders, such
as My Documents and My Music, for
storing your personal data files. You
can make subdirectories in these
too!
WINDOWS EXPLORER
 NOT the same as Internet Explorer! Windows
Explorer is a file manager
 Shows files in different views

 Shows files’ information: name, date

modified, type, size and others you can set


(Turn menu bar on, then View then menu
choice Choose Details)
 Uses Graphical User Interface to let you

move files around, copy them, erase them


UNITS FOR MEASURING FILE SIZES
 One byte = one character, pretty small
 1 Kilobyte = 1024 bytes, about a page
of text
 1 Megabyte = 1024 KBs, a 1000-page
book
 1 Gigabyte = 1024 MBs (more than 1
billion bytes), about 1000 books, a
library!
 1 Terabyte = 1024 GBs (more than 1
trillion bytes), over 1000 libraries
 1 Petabyte = 1024 TBs (more than 1
quadrillion bytes), over 1 million libraries
RELATIONSHIPS OF UNITS
 1024 = 512 * 2
 1024 = 256 * 4

 1024 = 128 * 8

 1 Gb = 1024 Mb

 So 0.5 Gb = 512 Mb

 And 0.25 Gb = 256 Mb

 If I had seven 512 Mb files and a 2 Gb

memory stick, would they all fit? How much


space left over? How much more needed?
FILE SIZES AND DATES
 A file contains data, stored as a group of bits
 File
size is usually measured in bytes, kilobytes, or
megabytes
 The file date indicates the date that a file was created
or last modified
FILE SIZES AND DATES
 Why is the file size important?
 Memory and Storage Capacity
 “How many songs can I fit on my MP3 player?”
 “How many pictures can I take with my camera?”
 "Did all my data get saved?“
 “Did I submit a file for the lab test that was
empty?”

 Why is the file date important?


 History of File Creation and Last Modification
 “Which one is the latest version of my paper?”
 “Did I submit my lab test on time?”
FILE MANAGEMENT TIPS
 Use descriptive names
 Maintain file extensions – don’t change one

unless you convert the file to that type


 Group similar files into a folder

 Organize your folders from the top down

 Consider using default folders but consider

putting folders inside them – My Documents


can be subdivided as you like!
 Do not mix data files and program files in the

same folder
FILE MANAGEMENT TIPS
 Don’t store too many files in the root
directory – actually slows down the access
 Follow copyright rules

 Delete or archive files you no longer need

 Be aware of storage locations!


 You
will not be able to submit your lab
test work if you do not know where
you put your files!
 Make Backups!
ZIPPING A FILE OR FILES
 Files can be compressed by removing
the redundancies in them
 Zip also archives them - turns several

files into one file, easier to move, copy,


upload, etc.
 Created by Phil Katz in 1989

 In Windows, select the files to zip

Right click on one of them


Choose "Send to compressed folder"
You may need to rename the file
afterward
SHORTCUTS
 Can create another icon which points to a file
or folder or program
 Double clicking on it is equivalent to double

clicking on what it points to


 But be careful! The shortcut is NOT a copy

of the file! If the original file is moved or


deleted, the shortcut does not work
 When submitting lab tests, be careful of this!

Do not send your TA JUST a bunch of


shortcuts!

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