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Lecture3_FileOrganization

The document discusses file organization and processing, explaining that a file is an organized collection of data with various structures such as fields, records, and databases. It outlines typical operations for file management, including retrieval, insertion, deletion, and updating of records. Additionally, it provides an overview of different file systems used in Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
6 views

Lecture3_FileOrganization

The document discusses file organization and processing, explaining that a file is an organized collection of data with various structures such as fields, records, and databases. It outlines typical operations for file management, including retrieval, insertion, deletion, and updating of records. Additionally, it provides an overview of different file systems used in Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows.

Uploaded by

abdonasr1998
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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File Organization and Processing

Lecture 3

File System

Mohamed Mead
Introduction
 A file is an organized collection of data.

The organization of the file depends on the use of the data


and is determined by the program, operating system or
user who created the file.

All data in the computer is stored and retrieved as


files. Thus, files may take many different forms
Introduction
A data file consisting of alphanumeric Unicode
text that represents a program in source code
form and will serve as ‘‘data’’ input to a C++ compiler.

A data file configured in some special way to


represent an image, sound, or other object.
Introduction
 The file system permits users to create data collections,
called files, with desirable properties, such as:
 Long-term existence: Files are stored on disk or other secondary
storage and do not disappear when a user logs off.
 Sharable between processes: Files have names and can have associated
access permissions that permit controlled sharing.
 Structure: Depending on the file system, a file can have an internal
structure that is convenient for particular applications. In addition, files
can be organized into hierarchical or more complex structure to reflect
the relationships among files.
File Structure

Four terms are in common use when discussing files:


 Field

 Record

 File

 Database
field
 A field is the basic element of data.
An individual field contains a single value, such as an
employee’s last name, a date, or the value of a
sensor reading.
It is characterized by its length and data type (e.g.,
ASCII string, decimal). Depending on the file
design, fields may be fixed length or variable
length.
record
 A record is a collection of related fields that can be treated
as a unit by some application program.
 For example, an employee record would contain such fields as
name, social security number, job classification, date of hire,
and so on.
 Again, depending on design, records may be of fixed length or
variable length.
 A record will be of variable length if some of its fields are of
variable length or if the number of fields may vary.
File
 A file is a collection of similar records.
 The file is treated as a single entity by users and applications.
 Files have file names and may be created and deleted.
 Access control restrictions usually apply at the file level. That is, in a
shared system, users and programs are granted or denied access to entire
files.
 In some more sophisticated systems, such controls are enforced at the
record or even the field level.
 Some file systems are structured only in terms of fields, not records. In
that case, a file is a collection of fields.
Database
 A database is a collection of related data.
 A database may contain all of the information related to an
organization or project, such as a business or a scientific
study.
 The database itself consists of one or more types of files.
 Usually, there is a separate database management system
that is independent of the operating system, although that
system may make use of some file management programs.
File Structure
Typical operations that must be supported include the
following:
Retrieve_All : Retrieve all the records of a file. This
will be required for an application that must process all
of the information in the file at one time.
For example, an application that produces a summary of
the information in the file would need to retrieve all
records.
File Structure
Retrieve_One : This requires the retrieval of just a
single record.
transaction-oriented applications need this operation.
Retrieve_Next : This requires the retrieval of the
record that is “next” in some logical sequence to the
most recently retrieved record.
A program that is performing a search may also use
this operation.
File Structure
 Retrieve_Previous : Similar to Retrieve_Next , but
in this case the record that is “previous” to the
currently accessed record is retrieved.

 Insert_One : Insert a new record into the file. It


may be necessary that the new record fit into a
particular position to preserve a sequencing of the
file.
File Structure
 Delete_One : Delete an existing record. data structures may need
to be updated to preserve the sequencing of the file.
 Update_One : Retrieve a record, update one or more of its fields,
and rewrite the updated record back into the file. Again, it may be
necessary to preserve sequencing with this operation.
 If the length of the record has changed, the update operation is
generally more difficult than if the length is preserved.
 Retrieve_Few : Retrieve a number of records. For example, an
application or user may wish to retrieve all records that satisfy a
certain set of criteria.
File Structure

1. Linux

Linux supports various file systems, but


common choices for the system disk on a block
device include XFS, JFS, and btrsfs.

For raw flash there are UBIFS, JFFS 2 and


YAFFS, among others.
File Structure

2. macOS

macOS uses the Apple File System(APFS),


which recently replaced a file system inherited
from classic mac old called HFS Plus(HFS+).
File Structure

3. Microsoft Windows

Windows makes use of the FAT, NTFS, exFAT


and ReFS file systems (the last of these is only
supported and usable in Windows Servers,
Windows 8,8.1,10.

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