• Laying the Groundwork

  • 1 The Big Picture

• The Information Layer

  • 2 Binary Values and Number Systems

  • 3 Data Representation

• The Hardware Layer

  • 4 Gates and Circuits

  • 5 Computing Components

• The Programming Layer

  • 6 Low-Level Programming Languages and Pseudocode

  • 7 Problem Solving and Algorithms

  • 8 Abstract Data Types and Subprograms

  • 9 Object-Oriented Design and High-Level Programming Languages

• The Operating Systems Layer

  • 10 Operating Systems

  • 11 File Systems and Directories

• The Applications Layer

  • 12 Information Systems

  • 13 Artificial Intelligence

  • 14 Simulation, Graphics, Gaming, and Other Applications

• The Communications Layer

  • 15 Networks

  • 16 The World Wide Web

  • 17 Computer Security

• In Conclusion

  • 18 Limitations of Computing

The previous chapter examined some of the roles an operating system plays. In particular, it described the management of processes, the CPU, and main memory. Another key resource that the operating system manages is secondary memory—most importantly, magnetic disks. The organization of files and directories on disk plays a pivotal role in everyday computing. Like a card file on a desktop, the file system provides a way to access particular data in a well-organized manner. The directory structure organizes files into categories and subcategories. File systems and directory structures are explored in detail in this chapter.