File Directory Structures
Last updated
Last updated
All major operating systems organize files into hierarchical directories. Understanding these file directory structures is vital when interacting with data files using Unix commands or a programming language.
This page describes file directory structures generally as well as some of the differences between file directory structures within different operating systems.
Directories allow users to group files into an organized structure. They are typically visualized like root systems of trees, the highest level of which is called the "root directory". Subdirectories branch down from the root directory, containing files as well as additional subdirectories.
Directories and files are typically described using the path used to reach them through the directory structure, starting with the root directory. In Linux and Mac operating systems, the root directory is indicated as "/" (In Windows OS, the root directory is indicated as "\"). An additional "/" (or "\" for Windows OS) is placed between each object in the path.
For example, looking at Figure 1, File_B1a2 could be described with:
/Directory_B/Directory_B1/Directory_B1a/File_B1a2
All major operating systems also provide users with a graphical user interface, or GUI (often pronounced "gooey"), which allows interaction with software and files through visual icons. If you are not already familiar with accessing files and directories through the command line, you are likely familiar with using a GUI file system. While not the recommended method for interacting with files while programming, the GUI file system can be a useful tool for visualizing a directory structure.
Figure 2 displays the GUI file system for a computer running MacOS. Though the GUI directory structure is visualized horizontally, the "root system" is still clearly visible. Using its complete path, the file "medication_data" should be described as:
/Users/<username>/Documents/project_a/data_files/medication_data
