this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2024
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So what's the difference?
My intuition is that
directoryis the older term and refers to something existing on the file system whilefoldercan be that but also includes "virtual folders" that group together different files from across the file system like when photo manager shows you categories like 'recently viewed' or 'taken in 2023'.None.
Directory is the older term, but when they started making computers user friendly they needed a friendlier word for it. Folders make sense because people understand putting files in folders in real life.
Aha, to me it's an apt metaphors as files go into folders and it fits with the whole desktop analogy.
Exactly, except like all computer metaphors they break down when you get into the details. I can't put a document in more than one folder and update them at the same time IRL like I can do with a symlink.
You bring up a pretty good point. Whenever I have a personal document that could go into multiple categories (eg a travel insurance certificate can go into travel, insurance, or finance folder) I place it in all 3 at once with hard links. What's more is that if I intuitively first search for a document in place A but it's actually in place B I simply place a link in A for the next time.
Before I learned a bit about file systems I didn't even conceive of such a thing being possible; precisely because the folder metaphor had imprinted upon me the physical world constraint that things can only be in a single place at once.
Uhhh directories are files where other files are stored in a computer, folders are pieces of paper used to store pieces of paper (or a file used to store another files in a computer)
folders are only considered files in linux, in windows, its a mess
something about not unix operating systems not being valid
obligatory mansplaining that Linux is not Unix
obligatory its a Unix system, I know this
A directory outside of computing is simply a list of items with a common characteristic. A list of names at an apartment building for example.
And on a CLI a directory is just a list of other files.