Department of Computing

CS 330: Operating Systems

BESE: 13 AB

Lab 7: File Management (Open Ended

Lab) Date: 5th April 2024

Instructor: Engr. Taufiq ur Rehman

User Guide
Directory Structure:
In the file system implementation, we use a tree-like data structure to represent the hierarchical
directory structure.
Data Structure for File System:
1. Tree Structure:
a. The file system is represented using a tree data structure.
b. Each node in the tree represents either a directory or a file.
c. The root node represents the root directory, denoted by /.
2. Directory Node:
a. Each directory is represented by a node in the tree.
b. Directory nodes contain:
i. Name: The name of the directory.
ii. Children: A dictionary or mapping containing child nodes (directories and
files) of the directory.
c. Example:

{
"name": "documents",
"children": {
"file1.txt": { File Node },
"subdirectory": { Directory Node },
...
}
}

3. File Node:
a. Each file is represented by a node in the tree.
b. File nodes contain:
i. Name: The name of the file.
ii. Content: The content of the file.
c. Example:
 {
"name": "file1.txt",
"content": "Hello, World!"
}

4. Data Persistence:
a. The file system data is typically persisted to a data file (e.g., JSON, XML) to maintain
state across sessions.
b. Serialization and deserialization techniques are used to convert the tree structure
into a format suitable for storage and vice versa.

Example of Data Structure Usage:

Suppose we have a file system with the following structure:
/
└── root
├── documents
│ └── file1.txt
├── images
│ └── pic1.jpg
└── videos
└── video1.mp4

The corresponding tree structure representation might look like this in the JSON file:
 {
"name": "/",
"children": {
"root": {
"name": "root",
"children": {
"documents": {
"name": "documents",
"children": {
"file1.txt": {
"name": "file1.txt",
"content": "Hello, World!"
}
}
},
"images": {
"name": "images",
"children": {
"pic1.jpg": {
"name": "pic1.jpg",
"content": "<binary_data>"
}
}
},
"videos": {
"name": "videos",
"children": {
"video1.mp4": {
"name": "video1.mp4",
"content": "<binary_data>"
}
}
}
}
}
}
File System Operations:
1. Create Directory:
○ This operation allows you to create a new directory at a specified path within the
file system.
○ Input: Path of the directory to be created.
○ Example: 1. Create Directory
○ Example Input: /root/documents
○ Example Output: If the directory does not already exist, it will be created at the
specified path.
2. Create File:
 ○ This operation allows you to create a new file at a specified path within the file
system.
○ Input: path where the file will be created and the name of the file.
○ Example: 2. Create File
○ Example Input: /root/documents, file1.txt
○ Example Output: If the file does not already exist, it will be created at the specified
path.
3. Delete File:
○ This operation allows you to delete a file from a specified path within the file
system.
○ Input: Path of the file to be deleted and the name of the file.
○ Example: 3. Delete File
○ Example Input: /root/documents, file1.txt
○ Example Output: If the file exists at the specified path, it will be deleted from the
file system.
4. Move File:
○ This operation allows you to move a file from one location to another within the file
system.
○ Input: Current path and name of the file, and the new path and name for the file.
○ Example: 4. Move File
○ Example Input: /root/documents, file1.txt, /root/images, new_file.txt
○ Example Output: If the file exists at the current path, it will be moved to the new
path with the specified name.
5. Open File:
○ This operation allows you to open a file and read its content.
○ Input: Path of the file to be opened and the name of the file.
○ Example: 5. Open File
○ Example Input: /root/documents, file1.txt
○ Example Output: If the file exists at the specified path, its content will be displayed.
6. Write to File:
○ This operation allows you to write data to a file within the file system.
○ Input: Path of the file to write to, name of the file, data to write, and mode (append
or write_at).
○ Example: 6. Write to File
○ Example Input: /root/documents, file1.txt, Hello, World!, append
○ Example Output: If the file exists at the specified path, the provided data will be
appended to its content.
7. Read from File:
 ○ This operation allows you to read data from a file within the file system.
○ Input: Path of the file to read from, name of the file, mode (sequential or
readFrom), start position, and size of data to read (if using readFrom mode).
○ Example: 7. Read from File
○ Example Input: /root/documents, file1.txt, sequential
○ Example Output: If the file exists at the specified path, its content will be displayed.
8. Logout:
○ This operation allows you to log out from the file system, terminating the current
session.
○ Example: 8. Logout
○ Example Output: The current session is ended, and you are returned to the login
screen.
9. Exit:
○ This operation allows you to exit the file system application, ending the program.
○ Example: 9. Exit
○ Example Output: The file system application is terminated.
Notes:
● Each operation requires appropriate input according to the specified instructions. Incorrect
input may result in error messages.
● The file system maintains persistent data, meaning that changes made during a session are
saved and can be accessed in subsequent sessions.
● The file system provides basic functionalities similar to those found in real-world operating
systems, allowing users to manage directories and files effectively.
● Ensure to save the data using the Logout option before exiting the file system to maintain
data integrity.
Example Usage:
Enter your choice: 1
Enter the path of the directory to be created: /root/documents
Directory '/root/documents' created successfully.

Enter your choice: 2

Enter the path where the file will be created: /root/documents
Enter the name of the file: file1.txt
File '/root/documents/file1.txt' created successfully.

Enter your choice: 6

Enter the path of the file to write to: /root/documents
Enter the name of the file: file1.txt
Enter the data to write: Hello, World!
Enter the mode (append or write_at): append
Data appended to file '/root/documents/file1.txt' successfully.

Enter your choice: 5

Enter the path of the file to be opened: /root/documents
Enter the name of the file: file1.txt
Content of file '/root/documents/file1.txt':
Hello, World!

Enter your choice: 3

Enter the path of the file to be deleted: /root/documents
Enter the name of the file: file1.txt
File '/root/documents/file1.txt' deleted successfully.