file systems files directories

Question 1

What is an absolute path?

Answer 1

A unique path that starts from the root of a file system and ends at the chosen destination (file or directory).

Question 2

How do absolute paths differ between Windows and Unix-based systems?

Answer 2

• Windows: Starts with a drive letter (e.g., C:). Uses backslashes ().
• Unix: Starts with a forward slash (/). Uses forward slashes (/).

Question 3

What is the root of a file system in Windows?

Answer 3

The root is a drive letter followed by a colon and backslash, such as C:.

Question 4

What is the root of a file system in Unix-based systems?

Answer 4

It is represented by a single forward slash (/).

Question 5

How does Windows handle case sensitivity in file paths?

Answer 5

Windows is not case-sensitive. For example, abc.txt and ABC.TXT refer to the same file.

Question 6

How does Unix handle case sensitivity in file paths?

Answer 6

Unix-based systems are case-sensitive. For example, abc.txt and ABC.TXT are different files.

Question 7

Why do Windows paths use backslashes?

Answer 7

Backslashes are inherited from DOS, where forward slashes were used for command-line parameters.

Question 8

What is a tilde (~) in Unix-based systems?

Answer 8

A shorthand for the current user’s home directory.

Question 9

Why is it recommended to avoid spaces and special characters in file names?

Answer 9

To minimise problems with command-line tools and programming libraries that assume simpler naming conventions.

Question 10

What is a relative path?

Answer 10

A path that starts from an arbitrary origin instead of the root of the file system.

Question 11

What does the dot (.) represent in relative paths?

Answer 11

The current directory.

Question 12

What do two dots (..) represent in relative paths?

Answer 12

The parent directory of the current directory.

Question 13

How do relative paths differ from absolute paths?

Answer 13

Relative paths depend on the current working directory, while absolute paths do not.

Question 14

What is the working directory?

Answer 14

The directory currently assumed as the origin for relative paths.

Question 15

How can you retrieve the working directory on Unix?

Answer 15

By using the $PWD environment variable.

Question 16

How can you retrieve the working directory on Windows?

Answer 16

By using the ‘cd’ command.

Question 17

What is encoding?

Answer 17

The process of converting a value to a code, such as text to binary.

Question 18

What is decoding?

Answer 18

The process of converting a code back into its original value.

Question 19

What is transcoding?

Answer 19

Encoding followed by decoding.

Question 20

How is the character ‘a’ represented in binary using UTF-8?

Answer 20

As 1100001 (binary) or 97 (decimal).

Question 21

What does the ord() function in Python do?

Answer 21

Returns the Unicode code point of a character.

Question 22

What are the three main ways a computer determines which program to use to open a file?

Answer 22

1. A person manually chooses the program.
2. By recognising the file’s extension.
3. By reading metadata stored in the file’s header.

Question 23

What is a file extension?

Answer 23

A sequence of characters appended to a file’s name, usually after a dot, indicating the file’s format.

Question 24

Are file extensions mandatory?

Answer 24

No, a file can exist without an extension, but it still retains its type based on its data format.

Question 25

How do extensions help an operating system?

Answer 25

Extensions act as a heuristic, providing a tip about the file type and helping the operating system select an appropriate program to open it.

Question 26

What is metadata in the context of files?

Answer 26

Information stored in the file’s header, often at the beginning, describing the file’s contents and format.

Question 27

What does a computer do when it cannot determine how to open a file?

Answer 27

It may attempt to guess the file’s format by analysing its contents or ask the user to select a program.