Exercise08

Ex 2.2.3 - Working with Files

KNOWLEDGE

WORKING WITH FILES

Folders/Directories

Folders can be identified by the "icon" at the front of them which is either an open folder or a closed folder. Folders are simply places where you can place files (or documents). They serve no other purpose other than to act like paper folders or you can also think of them as draws in a filing cabinet where you place you paper documents. Computer "folders" exist on your floppy disc or hard disc. You can create them, give them sensible names, re-name them, places files or other folders inside them, you can copy them to other disks, and you can also delete them.

An alternative name for a folder is "a directory".

Files
Files are what you create when you enter information into an application software package. With a word processor you write a letter and save it as a "word file" (document) on your disc. With a spreadsheet you create a bar chart in your worksheet and you save it as a "spreadsheet file" on your disc. With a database you enter details of customers, customer records, and this is saved as a "database file" on your disc. When you look at the folders and files on your disc you can distinguish between different types of file by looking at the "icon" before it - look at the screen shot below and identify for yourself the icons for Word, Excel and Access files.

Tree Structure Diagram The storing of files in folders and sub-folders can be represented pictorially as shown in the diagram shown. This is referred to as a tree structure diagram as it looks a little like the roots of a tree branching off below the ground - the ground is given by A:\ in this case which means the floppy disc. <DATA>, <NEW> and <WORD> are folders/directories that are on the floppy disc. Within the folder <WORD> are two files EX1.DOC and EX2.DOC, word processor files in this case.