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Concepts of Computer Files Note

This document defines key terms related to computer files including records, fields, files, data items, and file structure. It also describes different types of file organization (serial, sequential, indexed, random), methods of accessing files (serial, random, sequential), and classifications of files (master, transaction, reference). Files contain records which have related fields of data, and the smallest unit of stored information is a data item. The structure of a file moves from specific data items to broader fields, records, and the overall file.

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25 views

Concepts of Computer Files Note

This document defines key terms related to computer files including records, fields, files, data items, and file structure. It also describes different types of file organization (serial, sequential, indexed, random), methods of accessing files (serial, random, sequential), and classifications of files (master, transaction, reference). Files contain records which have related fields of data, and the smallest unit of stored information is a data item. The structure of a file moves from specific data items to broader fields, records, and the overall file.

Uploaded by

Ekop Ini
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS

1. Computer files: These are the most basic unit of data that users can store on a disk. Every
program, image, video, song, and documents is stored as a file.

2. Record: A record is a collection of related data items or a field that are grouped together and
treated as an entity

3. Field: This is a group of related characters, in a file such as date of birth, an examination
number

Or surname of students

4. File: This is a group of related records

Students no Name Sex Address Course

86002 Olayemi A.A M 2, Ojo St, Ido Comp. Sc.

86013 Ajayi C.W F 3, Ade St, Otta Sec. Admin.

86107 Owolabi B. M 3,Joel St, Kettu Bus. Admin

Each segment in the above – number, name , sex, address and course is a field while all the
fields together for a student is a record and the whole three records is a file.

Data items: This is the smallest unit of information stored in a computer file

TYPES OF DATA ITEMS


➢ Numeric: This is the type of data items consists of numbers of numbers 0-9
➢ Alphabets: This type of data item consists of letters A-Z
➢ Alphanumeric: This is the combination of alphabetic and numeric characters

FILE STRUCTURE

DATA

FIELD

RECORD

FILE
This is the structure of a file in a systematic order from top to bottom

Types of file organization


File organization: This refers to the way the content of a file are arranged in the storage
medium.

➢ Serial file organization: This is one of the types of file organization in which the records
have been in the order in which they have arisen
➢ Sequential file organization: In sequential file organization, records are organize in
sequence by which they were added.
➢ Indexed file organization: An indexed file organization contains reference number, like
students’ number, that identify a record in a relation to other record. These references
are called the primary keys that are unique to a particular record.
➢ Random file organization: This is a file organized via index. Also called a DIRECT FILE. It
enables quick access to specific records or other elements.
METHODS OF ACCESSING FILES
File accessing is the way the content of a file is arranged in a storage medium.
The information stored in the file needs to be accessed and read into the computer
memory. The way the content of a file a file is accessed, that is the way it will be
accessed. This are different methods of accessing files. They are
1. Serial access 2. Randomly access 3. Sequential access

COMPUTER FILE CLASSIFICATION


File classification is the process of organizing paper and electronic records
Master file: These are files of fairly permanent nature e.g. customer ledger, pay roll
etc. A feature to know is the regular updating of these files to know current position

Transaction File: This is also known as movement file. This is made of different
transactions created from the documents. It is used to update the master file.
Reference file: This is a file with reasonable amount of permanency. It is used to
store data needed for reference purposes.
CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFYING COMPUTER FILES
1. By nature of content
2. By organization method
3. By storage medium

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