file management gap toolkit 5 training in basic drug abuse data management and analysis training...
TRANSCRIPT
File management
GAP Toolkit 5 Training in basic drug abuse data management and analysis
Training session 2
Objectives
• To review the physical storage of information on a computer
• To review the referencing of storage mediums • To describe the software partition of the storage space
into directories• To establish a taxonomy of files• To review the file-management facilities in Windows
Computer storage
• A binary system with information stored as on or off• A bit• A byte• A kilobyte (KB)• A megabyte (MB)• A gigabyte (GB) …
Permanent storage
• Disks – physical storage:– Hard disks– Floppy disks; CDs; Zip disks …
• Disk Drives – input/output devices to the disks:– Hard drive– Floppy disk drive; Zip drive; CD drive or CD read/writer …
Referencing disk drives
• Disk drives are referenced by using a letter followed by a colon:– A: the floppy disk drive– C: the hard disk drive
• Depending on the configuration of the computer:D: or E: a CD drive or Zip drive
• F: or greater a network drive
Filing cabinet analogy
• Think of the storage space on the computer as a filing cabinet
• Disks can be thought of as drawers in a filing cabinet• At present, we have a cabinet in which we could start
throwing files into the various drawers, but there would soon be a muddle of program and data files, with no order or plan
Directories/folders
• Directories or folders are the key to creating order on a disk
• Directories can contain files and/or other directories• Analogous to folders in the filing cabinet drawers
The root directory
• A root (or original) directory is automatically created for each disk
• The root is the start of the directory structure• It is referenced by a backward-leaning slash: \• For example, A:\ C:\ D:\
The hierarchical structure
• As directories can hold other directories, the disks become split into a hierarchy of directories
2 001 2 002
L e tte rs R e p o rts C o n tra c ts
M y D o cu m e n ts
W o rd S P S S
P ro g ram F iles
P ic tu res
W in d o w s N T
/ R o o t
Files
• Types of file: - program- user-created - executable - batch, etc.
• Naming
File suffixes
• .doc = Word• .xls = Excel• .htm(l) = Internet• .pdf = Acrobat• .ppt = PowerPoint• .mdb = Access
• .sav = SPSS data file• .sps = SPSS syntax file• .spo = SPSS output file• There are a number of other
SPSS file types left over from previous versions such as .por, etc., but the above are the most important
Windows Explorer
• Used:– To navigate the file structure – To create, move and delete directories – To copy, cut and paste files
• To Open:– Start/Programs/Windows Explorer– Windows key + E
Windows Explorer
Folders tool to view computer and directory contents
Displaying contents
Click here to collapse the view of C: drive/directory contents
Collapsing an entry
Drive/directory contents
View options
• Large icons – large folder icons• Small icons – small folder icons• List – list of files and directories, but no details• Details – the most useful option, contains directory and
file details• Thumbnails – icons once again
Exercise
• Open Windows Explorer• Display the contents of the root directory of the C: drive
in the right hand window• Display the contents of the directory My Documents
(Documents and Settings if using NT or XP)• Try all five available views
Directories
• Important directories:– My Documents– Program Files– Windows
• Main operations:– Creating– Moving– Deleting
Hierarchical directory structure
My Documents
• A directory created by default by the Windows software to contain user-created files
• Save all files to the My Documents directory or a subset of that directory
My Documents
My Documents
Creating a sub-directory
• Select the location for the new directory– My Documents in this case; the new directory is a sub-
directory of My Documents• File/New/Folder• Enter a name for the new directory
– GAP in this case
File/New/Folder
Enter a meaningful name
Possible hierarchy of directories
Moving a directory
• Click and Drag• Copy/Cut and Paste
– Copy leaves the original directory in place; a copy of the directory and all the files and sub-directories it holds is created at the Paste location
– Cut removes or deletes the original directory, moving the directory and all the files and sub-directories it holds to the Paste location
Cut and Paste
• Edit menu– Edit/Cut; Edit/Copy; Edit/Paste
• Quick menu– Point at the object to be moved and click the right hand
mouse button• Keyboard shortcuts
– Ctrl + C = copy– Ctrl + X = cut– Ctrl + V = paste
The quick menu — Copy
The quick menu — Paste
Directory added to treatment centre
Data directory added here
Deleting a directory
• BEWARE! Deleting a directory will delete all the files it contains and all the sub-directories it contains
• Make the directory to be deleted current and press the Delete button on the keyboard
Directories to avoid
• Program Files– Contains the files that comprise software programmes– All software programmes should be loaded by default to sub-
directories of Program Files• Windows
– Contains the files that comprise the Windows operating system
Moving up the directory structure
• The toolbar contains an icon of a folder with an arrow imprinted on it; this is used to move up the directory structure
• The top of the directory structure is the root; moving up the directory structure is equivalent to moving towards the root
Exercise
C o n stru c t th e fo llo w ing h ie ra rchy o n yo u r co m pu te r:
N o tes D a ta E xe rc ises
G A P
M y D o cu m e n ts
Files
• Copying, moving and deleting files• Opening and saving files
Copying, moving and deleting files
• Using Windows Explorer, the procedure is the same as for directories
• Make the file current by pointing and clicking using the mouse
• Cut, Copy and Paste, or Drag and Drop• Delete using the Delete key or the quick menu
Open/saving files
• Software packages require previously created files to be opened and newly created files to be saved for future use
• File/Open• File/Save or File/Save As from within the software
package
SPSS Save As dialogue box
click here for full directory list
The wider directory structure
The Save As dialogue box
Find
• Find is used to search for lost files• Find is accessed by either
– Windows Key + F or – Start/Search/For Files or Folders
(Windows 2000)
Find
Exercise
• Create a word processing file called Test and save it to the GAP\Data directory
• From Windows Explorer, copy Test into the directories GAP\Exercises and GAP\Notes
• Use the Find facility to locate the file spsswin.exe• Copy the file spsswin.exe to the desktop
Summary
• Drives• Directories• Files• Hierarchical directory
structure• Navigating• Creating, moving and
deleting directories
• Copying, cutting and pasting files
• Saving files to a directory• Find