File Management What is file management? • definition Files • definition • content: data / information / instructions • file name extensions Folders • names & locations • Save As… dialog box Editing (making changes) • Move, copy, rename, delete, etc. File management is a reference to managing your files and folders on a computer – knowing where you are putting your stuff and how to find it later!
File management also includes OS procedures such as move, copy, rename, delete, etc. definition • A file is a “named collection” of either data, information or instructions.
Data - are “raw facts” – for example a single word or string of numbers. Files containing data are generally stored in a “field” as part of a single “record” within a database file (example: a Microsoft Access file)
Information –
Instructions – definition
Data –
Information - is data organized into something useful – often the result of placing the data in context – for example, placing a word after a number – we now can identify the word as a possible street name. A simple business letter or typed document would be another example of an information file – this type of file may have been created using a word processing application such as Microsoft Word.
Instructions – definition Data – Information –
Instructions – this type of file is created by a computer programmer – it produces an “executable” file (program file) that directs the computer to do something. Program files are generally referred to as “applications” – they are designed to be applied to a particular task (such as word processing) Computer programmers write in any number of different programming languages, such as C++, Java, Visual Basic, etc. (examples: application files such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint) File name rules • Should be short and descriptive when possible
• The following characters cannot be used when assigning a file name:
< > : “ / \ | ? * File name “extensions” • All files created in Windows include a 3 (or more) character extension appended to the end of the file name, separated from the first half of the name with a dot (example: filename.pdf)
• File name extensions are assigned automatically by the application when the file is first saved.
• Note that, by default, Windows DOES NOT display file name extensions – if you wish to see these extensions you must deliberately “un-hide” them using Folder Options from the Control Panel File name “extension” Examples:
Class Notes.txt (Microsoft Notepad file) My Lab Notes.docx (Microsoft Word file) Monthly Budget.xlsx (Microsoft Excel file) My Presentation.pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint file) Student Records.accdb (Microsoft Access file) my_webpage.html (Hypertext Markup Language file)
iexplore.exe (Internet Explorer program file) msword.exe (Microsoft Word program file) My Photo.jpg (Joint Photographic Experts Group file)
A folder on a computer is a storage location (historically referred to as a directory) – it opens in an object called a “window”
A folder can contain … • Other folders (a folder inside a folder, etc.) • Files (containing data, information or instructions) • Shortcuts (paths to other locations – also referred to an “alias”)
Unlike file names, folder names are not assigned an extension (though user-assigned extensions are possible)
To create a folder: • Right-click on the desktop (or inside another folder) • Select “New” from the shortcut menu • Select “Folder” from the submenu
To save a file to a specified folder (location): • Press Ctrl + s (or “Save” from the File menu)
• From the “Save As…” dialog box that appears select the desired location from the column on the left (or the drop-down list at the top)
• Type the desired file name in the File Name text box near the bottom of the dialog box
NOTE: when in doubt, you can always save your stuff directly to the desktop – that way it will be easy to find! Move, copy, rename, delete, etc. Though there are numerous ways to perform these editing functions, the following method is probably the easiest to remember! Note: be sure the object is currently not “open” before you attempt one of the commands above
• Right-click on the object and select from the shortcut menu that appears