File Management
A file is a set of related data that are stored on secondary storage devices. Although the user or an application views a file as one solid object, the operating system might store various parts of the file (different sections of the file, or the file's metadata) at different places/addresses on the disk.
Metadata is data about data. File metadata is data about the file, which the OS uses to better control and organize files. File metadata include:
- File name (for human readability/ease.)
- File ID (usually a number, for OS use.)
- Type (e.g., binary, text, source code, executable.)
- Extension (e.g., txt, docx, html, exe.)
- Location (start address) on the disk.
- Size of the file's content in bytes.
- Permissions that users have (e.g., read, change, execute.)
- Date & time of the file's creation.
- Date & time of the file's most recent modification.
- The ID or name of the file's owener (the user who owns the file.)
These notes by Miriam Briskman are licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 and based on sources.