(computer science) a listing of the files stored in memory (usually on a hard disk)
Microsoft Computer Dictionary
n. 1. A catalog for filenames and other directories stored on a disk. A directory is a way of organizing and grouping the files so that the user is not overwhelmed by a long list of them. The uppermost directory is called the root directory; the directories within a directory are called subdirectories. Depending on how an operating system supports directories, filenames in a directory can be viewed and ordered in various ways—for example, alphabetically, by date, by size, or as icons in a graphical user interface. What the user views as a directory is supported in the operating system by tables of data, stored on the disk, that indicate characteristics and the location of each file. In the Macintosh and Windows 9x operating systems, directories are called folders. 2. On a network, an index of names and pertinent information related to authorized users and network resources.
