Integrated file system concepts
This topic introduces the basic concepts of integrated file system, such as directory, link, path name, stream file, name continuity, extended attributes, and scanning support.
- Directory
A directory is a special object that is used to locate objects by names that you specify. Each directory contains a list of objects that are attached to it. That list can include other directories. - Link
A link is a named connection between a directory and an object. A user or a program can tell the system where to find an object by specifying the name of a link to the object. A link can be used as a path name or as part of a path name. - Path name
A path name (also called a pathname on some systems) tells the system how to locate an object. - Stream file
A stream file is a randomly accessible sequence of bytes, with no further structure imposed by the system. - Name continuity
When you use the "root" (/), QOpenSys, and user-defined file systems, you can take advantage of system support that ensures characters in object names remain the same. - Extended attributes
An extended attribute is information associated with an object that provides additional details about the object. The extended attribute consists of a name, which is used to refer to it, and a value. The value can be text, binary data, or another type of data. - Scanning support
With the IBM i operating system, you can scan integrated file system objects.
Parent topic: Integrated file system