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How to Differentiate Between Files and Folders?

 
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# 1  
Old 04-27-2006
How to Differentiate Between Files and Folders?
Hi All,

I'm a rookie using HPUX and I know this is going to sound like a bonehead question, but when I list the contents of a directory, how can I determine which objects are files and which are folders? I'm using the ll and ls commands to lists the contents. So far I've been determining the object types by trying to cd/more the objects and see what happens. I figured there's gotta be a better way.

Thanks in advance.
# 2  
Old 04-27-2006
If it's 96 bytes, it's a directory?
I think I just figured it out. Anything that's a directory seems to be 96 bytes. Does this sound like a reliable method?

Thanks,

Dan
# 3  
Old 04-27-2006
Sorry for the wasted post...
drwxr-x---

If it startes with "dr"

Thanks if you were thinking about responding.
# 4  
Old 04-27-2006
Half right Smilie , if it starts with a 'd' it's a directory (the r is the start of the permissions and shows that the file owner can read the file - use "man ls" for lots of info on all of the fields displayed by ls)

cheers
# 5  
Old 04-27-2006
here...
It is completely legitimate question BTW.

In the head of output by ls -l

- stands for a regular file
d stands for directory
l stands for a symbolic link
c stands for character oriented device
b stands for block oriented device

You can figure out more by using "man ls" command.
Get "UNIX Essentials and UNIX Core" DVD course or "UNIX in 24 hours" book as them address questions of this sort.
Hope it helps.
# 6  
Old 04-27-2006
Thanks!
Thanks for all the replies. I'll look into those resources.
# 7  
Old 04-28-2006
Here another visual way to represent folders and other objects, such as links. Us e the -F option of ls.

Quote:
/usr/bin/ls
-F Marks directories with a trailing slash (/), doors
with a trailing greater-than sign (>), executable
files with a trailing asterisk (*), FIFOs with a
trailing vertical bar (|), symbolic links with a
trailing "at" sign (@), and AF_UNIX address family
sockets with a trailing equals sign (=). Follows
symlinks named as operands.
 
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