File manager

File Managers are computer applications that provide access to

files, and help perform common operation on them - such as copy, move or

delete. Although they are essential part of a computer system, and one

or more file manager is usually supplied by the operating system software's

manufacturer, a file manager software is not part of the operating system

software - it is an application software. Many popular operating

systems such as Microsoft Windows ™ or Linux ™ in fact can use many

different types of file managers, created for sale by third party vendors or

given away for free by aspiring computer programmers.

The first file managers were created for operating systems that were equipped

with a character user interface.These file managers were typically represented computer

disks, directory structures or network shares in their actual, physical layout,

and allowed only a limited set of operation on these resources. With the advent

and success of graphical user interfaces file managers gained more

functionality, such as the ability to associate files with the programs that

created them, and operation via pointer devices instead of commands typed on

keyboards. They also allowed a more intuitive way to place files and folders,

and they made locating remote resources somewhat easier. In the wake of the

World Wide Web file managers went through one more incarnation, and become

completely independent of computer platforms or operating systems. A file manager

software that is created to run from a browser does not require the installation

of the software on the local machine, but it is automatically downloaded from a

remote location - making access to the software virtually effortless and

unrestrichted.