Filename; Directory; Volume Label; Disk Drive - Commodore PC 20 User Manual

Filename
Just as each folder in a file cabinet has a label, each file on a disk
has a name. This name has two parts: a
filename
and an
exten-
sion.
A filename can be from 1 to 8 characters in length, and can
be typed in uppercase or lowercase letters.
MS· DOS
automatically
converts filenames to uppercase letters.
Filename extensions consist of a period followed by one, two, or
three characters. Extensions are optional, but it's a good idea to
use them, since they are useful for describing the contents of a
file to you and to
MS· DOS.
For instance, if you want to be able to
quickly identify your report files, you can add the filename exten-
sion
.rpt
to each one. Here's an example of a filename with this
extension:
p'rogress.rpt
I
filename
I
filename extension
Directory
A directory is a table of contents for a disk. It contains the names
of your files, their sizes, and the dates they were last modified.
When you look at the directory on your
MS-DOS
master disk, you
will see many files with the extension
.exe
or .
com.
The extension
.exe
means
executable,
and .
com
means
command.
These exten-
sions tell
MS· DOS
that the files are programs that can be run. Many
files will have other kinds of extensions, such as .doc and . txt,
which might contain text. Another common program file exten-
sion is .
bas
for
BASIC
programs.
Volume Label
When you use a new disk, you can put a label on the outside of
it to help you identify its contents. You can also give each of your
disks an internal name, called a
volume label.
You can look at the volume label on a disk by displaying its direc-
tory. Some programs may look at the volume label to see if you
are using the correct disk. So make sure that you label your disks.
Disk Drive
Floppy disk drives are commonly referred to as the A drive and
the
B
drive; a hard disk is usually referred to as the C drive.
Check your computer manual to see which drive is A and which
is
B
(or C).
Learning About
MS-DOS
31