Here are some additional points to note about directories:

•On the root directory, the total number of files and subdirectories must not exceed 512.

•All directories other than the root directory can have any number of files and subdirectories.

•Subdirectories are named the same way files are. The name can include as many as eight characters, and you can add an extension of up to three characters.

•The root directory does not have a name. It is identified by a backslash (\) character.

•Diskettes have root directories, just as hard disks do, and you can create subdirectories on diskettes the same as on hard disks.

The following sections discuss the basics of creating, deleting, and using directories.

The Default Directory

MS-DOS always recognizes one directory as the default or current directory, just as it always recognizes one drive as the default drive. The default directory is the one in which MS-DOS performs your commands, unless you tell it to do otherwise. If you want to run a program or access a data file that is not stored in the default directory, you can either change directories (making a different directory the default) or include a pathname in your command.

Using Pathnames

A pathname tells MS-DOS how to find its way to the directory you want to access. There are two basic types of pathnames: relative and absolute. A relative pathname tells MS-DOS how to find its way to the desired directory from the current default directory. An absolute pathname tells MS-DOS how to find its way to the desired directory from the root directory.

5-12 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity 386

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