NAME

dir − format of directories

SYNOPSIS

#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/dir.h>

DESCRIPTION

A directory behaves exactly like an ordinary file, save that no user may write into a directory.  The fact that a file is a directory is indicated by a bit in the flag word of its i-node entry see, filsys(5). The structure of a directory entry as given in the include file is:

By convention, the first two entries in each directory are for ‘.’ and ‘..’.  The first is an entry for the directory itself.  The second is for the parent directory.  The meaning of ‘..’ is modified for the root directory of the master file system and for the root directories of removable file systems.  In the first case, there is no parent, and in the second, the system does not permit off-device references.  Therefore in both cases ‘..’ has the same meaning as ‘.’. 

SEE ALSO

filsys(5)

7th Edition