What Is Folder?

Folders, folders everywhere. It's the age of the folder! You see them every day: on your desktop, in your file explorer, popping up on your phone. They're all around us, and they're everywhere. But what are they? In computers, Folders help organize and store files and data on a computer using a graphical user interface operating system. Folders are virtual locations where applications, documents, data, or other sub-folders can be stored. They're pretty valuable things and they've only gotten more useful over time! If you had asked someone about their favorite folder back when computers were first invented (say… 1980), you might have gotten some funny looks from them because there weren't any folders yet! Folders, like the ones you use to organize your closet, are an essential tool in the computer science world. They can store and manage different types of applications, files or libraries. They can also contain other folders, including other folders or files. Due to how folders organize and store data within the storage media file system, folders are also known as file directories or simply directories. There is no limit on the number of folders or sub-folders that can be created. One can see how the data or files are organized upon opening a folder. Folders are like the file system's best friends: always there for you. They can be helpful and supportive even when you're at your worst and always have your back. Like when you've got many files that need to get organized, but you don't have time for that. Folders can help! Folders are capable because they provide pointers to files on your computer's hard drive. Think of them as directions for finding a specific file, but more detailed than telling someone, “It’s in the top drawer". Unlike actual files, folders don't take up any disk space—they point to where those files are stored, which makes them great space savers! Most operating systems provide information about folders, including how much space the folder takes up and how many items it contains. You can even right-click on a folder to get these stats on any given folder! You can also hide folders from users if necessary. It's easy to add transparency effects or change the color of a folder with just a few clicks!