File Organization and Processing
Lecture 1
Introduction – File Organization
Mohamed Mead
Introduction
File organization means the way data is stored
so that it can be retrieved when needed.
Two important characteristics of files
are Data Organization and Method of Access.
Introduction
Data organization, refers to the way the
records of the file are organized on the
backing storage device.
Method of access, The techniques used to find
and retrieve stored records are called.
GOALS OF FILE ORGANIZATION
1. To give ease of creation and maintenance of
database in terms of file organization.
2. To create an efficient way of storing and
retrieving information from file system.
Introduction
Windows stores files in a flexible hierarchy
with three basic levels
Storage Media
Hard drive
External hard drive
USB flash
CD/CDRW
DVD/DVD-RW
Working with Folders
Folders are electronic locations to store groups
of related files
Create new folders at any time whenever
you need them
Windows automatically creates a Documents
folder
Naming Files and Folders
Use meaningful, easily recognizable file and folder names
2008-budget-proposal.xlsx
Brown Act.docx
ABC-conf-May08.pptx
Special considerations
Dates
Underscores
Spaces
Backing up
Creating a duplicate of your files and folders
on another storage device to protect data from
loss.
File Attributes
A file is defined by a set of attributes that vary from one
operating system to another. Typical attributes are:
Name – for the convenience of the human users
Type – to indicate the type of operations that can be done
on the file (included in the name as an extension)
File Attributes
Location – pointer to file location on device
Size – current file size
Protection – controls who can do reading, writing,
executing, and so on Time, date, and user identification –
data useful for protection, security, and usage monitoring
Common File Types
File Operations
Creating a file. Two steps are necessary to create a file.
First, space in the file system must be found for the
Second, an entry for the new file must be made in the directory.
Writing a file. To write a file, we make a system call specifying
both the name of the file and the information to be written to
the file.
Given the name of the file, the system searches the directory
to find the file’s location.
File Operations
Reading a file. To read from a file, we use a system call
that specifies the name of the file and where (in memory)
the next block of the file should be put.
Deleting a file. To delete a file, we search the directory
for the named file. Having found the associated directory
entry, we release all file space, so that it can be reused
by other files, and erase the directory entry.
File Operations
Truncating a file. The user may want to erase the
contents of a file but keep its attributes.
This function allows all attributes to remain unchanged—
except for file length—but lets the file be reset to length
zero and its file space released
File types also can be used to indicate the internal
structure of the file.
Directory and Disk Structure
Files are stored on random-access storage devices,
including hard disks, optical disks, and solid-state (memory-
based) disks.
a disk can be partitioned into quarters, and each quarter
can hold a separate file system.
File Systems
A file system is used to control how
information is stored and retrieved.
Without a file system, information placed in a
storage area would be one large body of
information with no way to tell where one piece
of information stops and the next begins.
File Systems
By separating the information into individual pieces,
and giving each piece a name, the information is
easily separated and identified.
each piece of information is called a "file". The
structure and logic rules used to manage the groups
of information and their names is called a "file
system".
File Systems
the file system is the most visible aspect of an
operating system as it provides the mechanism
for storage and access to both data and
programs of the operating system
