Files, Formats, Folders, and Friends

Computers store all information digitally as 0s and 1s; we refer to this collectively as “data.”

We’re used to dealing with physical objects in reality, so out of habit, we tend to refer to virtual objects as tangible things as well.

But how do you actually visualize data?

?

Files

In the broadest sense, a computer file is simply a package for storing data.

The phrase originates from physical files, which likewise store analog data.

The size of a file is measured in Bytes, each of which consists of 8 Bits.

File Sizes

A Bit is simply a 0 or a 1, and is the smallest denomination of size in computing.

File sizes have become so large we now use mathematical prefixes to measure file size: 1 Kilobyte (kb) = 1024 Bytes 1 Megabyte (mb) = 1024 Kilobytes 1 Gigabyte (gb) = 1024 Megabytes 1 Terabyte (tb) = 1024 Gigabytes

File Formats

As time and technology have evolved, the packaging for files has also evolved.

Files can now consist of all sorts of data beyond simple plaintext: Video Audio Programs/Applications Documents And so on

File Extensions

The type of file is noted by its extension, which is (usually) in a three-character format added to the end of a file.

For example, a text file generated in notepad would have the extension .txt

This can lead to some confusion, as renaming a file’s extension will not change

the data within, but how the computer accesses it.

Be particularly wary of “booby trapped” extensions; very often, a virus or other

malware will be disguised as an image or document file, but still be appended

with .exe.

DON’T OPEN ANY FILE THAT HAS TWO EXTENSIONS!

seriously_dont_open_this.jpg.exe

Nested Folders

Folders

Folders are simply a means to store files; folders themselves do not contain meaningful data.

In most computers nowadays, folders are arranged in a “nested” structure; simply put, folders can be put inside of other folders, which can be inside other folders, et cetera.

Drives/Disks

Typically, a hard disk or disk drive will be referred to with a letter followed by a colon and forward slash (ie: C:\)

A file can be found using its filepath, which is similar to a web address (ie: C:\Users\Testguy\My Documents\hello.txt)