directory

(dĭ-rĕk'tə-rē, dī-)

1. A book containing an alphabetical or classified listing of names, addresses, and other data, such as telephone numbers, of specific persons, groups, or firms.
2. Computer Science.
   1. A listing of the files contained in a storage device, such as a magnetic disk.
   2. A description of the various characteristics of a file, such as the layout of the fields in it.
3. A book of rules or directions.
4. A group or body of directors.

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(1) A simulated file folder on disk. Directories and folders are two terms for the same thing. The term "directory" was first used in Unix and DOS environments. The Mac came later and used "folder" for the same structure. Windows followed the Mac. See folder.

(2) A database of users, hardware devices and applications in a network. See DSML, directory service and metadirectory.

(3) A database of Web sites organized by subject that is used by search engines. Yahoo! was a directory site in its early days, but then added search bots to automatically index pages as the Web grew too large to manually index. Google uses information from the Open Directory Project for its directory site (http://directory.google.com). See Open Directory Project, Web search engines, metasearch sites and Yahoo!.

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A provision in a statute, rule of procedure, or the like, that is a mere direction or instruction of no obligatory force and involves no invalidating consequence for its disregard, as opposed to an imperative or mandatory provision, which must be followed. The general rule is that the prescriptions of a statute relating to the performance of a public duty are so far directory that, though neglect of them may be punishable, it does not affect the validity of the acts done under them, as in the case of a statute requiring an officer to prepare and deliver a document to another officer on or before a certain day.

Generally, statutory provisions that do not relate to the essence of a thing to be done, and as to which compliance is a matter of convenience rather than of substance, are directory, while provisions that relate to the essence of a thing to be done, that is, matters of substance, are mandatory.

1. an organized list of names, organizations, or other data bases for ease of retrieval or reference. n 2. the listing of files in a computer storage system.

• Voice Transmission and Telephony - directory: book listing all residential and business telephone numbers in region or district
• General Technology - directory: table of contents that lists files
• Software, Languages, and Programming - directory: in DOS, a top-level storage area for files and collections of files
• Memory and Data Storage - directory: table of contents for files on disk
• Publications - directory: listing of names, addresses, and other information about a specific group of people

For Wikipedia’s directories, see Wikipedia:Directory.

Look up directory in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Directory may refer to:

• Directory (file systems), or folder, a file system structure in which to store computer files
• Directory (databases), stored information about a database
• Directory service, a software application for organizing information about a computer network's users and resources
• Directory (political), a small group of influential states that is said to 'direct' the agenda

• French Directory, the government in revolutionary France from 1795 to 1799

• Telephone directory, a book which allows telephone numbers to be found given the subscriber's name
• Trade directory, a listing of information about suppliers and manufacturers
• Web directory, an organized collection of links to websites

See also

• Director (disambiguation)
• Directorate (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - telefonbog, vejviser, medlemsoversigt, direktorat, filkatalog, bibliotek, ritualbog
adj. - vejledende

idioms:

• directory enquiries    nummerkontor

Nederlands (Dutch)
adressenlijst, telefoonboek, onderverdeling in computer (map/ directory), leidraad, raad van commissarissen, directorium

Français (French)
n. - (Comput) répertoire de dossiers, (Télécom) annuaire (des téléphones), répertoire (d'adresses), guide (des rues), (Hist) Directoire
adj. - de téléphone, d'adresses

idioms:

• directory enquiries    (service des) renseignements

Deutsch (German)
n. - Adressenverzeichnis, Telefonbuch, Branchenverzeichnis
adj. - leitend, richtunggebend

idioms:

• directory enquiries    (Fernsprech)auskunft

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - τηλεφωνικός οδηγός/κατάλογος, (ιστ.) Διευθυντήριο, (Η/Υ) κατάλογος, ευρετήριο

idioms:

• directory enquiries    πληροφορίες τηλεφωνικού καταλόγου

Italiano (Italian)
elenco

idioms:

• directory assistance/enquiries    servizio informazioni

Português (Portuguese)
n. - diretoria (f)

idioms:

• directory enquiries    auxílio à lista (telefônica)

Русский (Russian)
справочник, директория

idioms:

• directory enquiries    справочное бюро

Español (Spanish)
n. - guía de teléfonos, directorio, manual de instrucciones, cartelera informativa
adj. - directivo, indicativo

idioms:

• directory enquiries    servicio de información telefónica

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - adressförteckning

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
姓名住址簿, 号码簿, 工商名录, 董事会, 指导的, 咨询的

idioms:

• directory enquiries    查号台查询

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 姓名住址簿, 號碼簿, 工商名錄, 董事會
adj. - 指導的, 諮詢的

idioms:

• directory enquiries    查號臺查詢

한국어 (Korean)
n. - (컴퓨터) 디렉토리
adj. - 디렉토리의

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 人名録, 人名簿

idioms:

• directory enquiries    電話案内

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الدليل ( مساحه محجوزة على القرص المغناطيسي في الحاسوب لتخزين معلومات لوصف ملفات)‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מדריך (ספר), חלק של דיסק המחשב הקרוי בשם מסוים ומכיל קבצים ותוכנות‬
adj. - ‮מנחה, מדריך‬

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