Noun | 1. | file - a set of related records (either written or electronic) kept together Synonyms: data file |
2. | file - a line of persons or things ranged one behind the other Synonyms: Indian file, single file | |
3. | file - office furniture consisting of a container for keeping papers in order Synonyms: file cabinet, filing cabinet | |
4. | file - a steel hand tool with small sharp teeth on some or all of its surfaces; used for smoothing wood or metal | |
Verb | 1. | file - record in a public office or in a court of law; "file for divorce"; "file a complaint" Synonyms: register |
2. | file - smooth with a file; "file one's fingernails" | |
3. | file - proceed in line; "The students filed into the classroom" | |
4. | file - file a formal charge against; "The suspect was charged with murdering his wife" | |
5. | file - place in a container for keeping records; "File these bills, please" Synonyms: file away |
(file system) | file - An element of data storage in a file system. The history of computing is rich in varied kinds of files and file systems, whether ornate (e.g., Macintosh file system for a well-known case) or deficient (e.g., many simple pre-1980s file systems don't allow directories). However, the prototypical file has these characteristics: * It is a single sequence of bytes (but consider Macintosh resource forks). * It has a finite length, unlike, e.g. a Unix device. * It is stored in a non-volatile storage medium (but see ramdrive). * It exists (nominally) in a directory. * It has a name that it can be referred to by in file operations, possibly in combination with its path. Additionally, a file system may associate other information with a file, such as permission bits or other file attributes; timestamps for file creation, last revision, and last access; revision numbers (a` la VMS), and other kinds of magic. Compare: document. |