File System Navigator

A simple command-line file system navigator written in C++ that simulates basic file system operations in memory.

What is this program?

This program creates a virtual file system that exists only in your computer's memory (RAM). You can create directories, files, navigate between folders, and search for items - just like using a real file system, but everything is temporary and disappears when you close the program.

Think of it like a sandbox where you can practice file system commands without affecting your real files!

Features

• Create directories - Make new folders
• Create files - Make new empty files
• Navigate directories - Move between folders
• List contents - See what's in the current folder
• Find files/folders - Search for items by name
• Show current location - Display your current path

How to Build and Run

Prerequisites

• A C++ compiler (like g++, Visual Studio, or MinGW)
• C++14 standard support or higher

Compilation

Open a terminal/command prompt in the project directory and run:

g++ -std=c++14 -o navigator.exe navigator.cpp

Running the Program

./navigator.exe

Available Commands

Once the program starts, you can use these commands:

Command	Description	Example
ls	List contents of current directory	ls
pwd	Print current directory path	pwd
mkdir <name>	Create a new directory	mkdir photos
touch <name>	Create a new empty file	touch document.txt
cd <path>	Change to a different directory	cd photos
find <name>	Search for files/directories	find document.txt
help	Show command list	help
exit	Exit the program	exit

Usage Examples

Basic Navigation

fs/> ls                    # List current directory contents
home/

fs/> cd home              # Go into the home directory
fs/home> pwd              # Show current path
/home

fs/home> ls               # List contents of home directory
user/
readme.txt

Creating Files and Directories

fs/> mkdir projects       # Create a new directory called "projects"
fs/> cd projects          # Go into the projects directory
fs/projects> touch app.cpp # Create a new file called "app.cpp"
fs/projects> ls           # List contents
app.cpp

Advanced Navigation

fs/projects> cd ..        # Go up one directory (to parent)
fs/> cd /                 # Go to root directory
fs/> cd /home/user        # Go to specific path
fs/home/user> 

Searching

fs/> find readme.txt      # Find all files named "readme.txt"
/home/readme.txt

fs/> find user            # Find all items named "user"
/home/user

Sample Directory Structure

When you start the program, it creates this sample structure for you to explore:

/
├── home/
│   ├── readme.txt
│   └── user/
│       ├── Documents/
│       │   └── report.docx
│       ├── Downloads/
│       └── profile.txt

How It Works (Technical Details)

For Beginners

The program uses a tree-like structure to represent folders and files:

• Each folder can contain other folders and files
• Files are like leaves on a tree (they can't contain anything)
• Folders are like branches (they can contain other items)

For Programmers

• Data Structure: Uses a tree of Node objects, each representing a file or directory
• Memory Management: Uses C++ smart pointers (std::unique_ptr) for automatic memory cleanup
• Navigation: Implements path parsing and traversal algorithms
• Design Pattern: Follows object-oriented design with encapsulation

Key Classes

• Node: Represents a single file or directory
• FileSystem: Manages the entire file system and operations
• Helper functions handle common tasks like path validation and navigation

Limitations

• Temporary: Everything is lost when you exit the program
• No file content: Files are empty placeholders (no actual content storage)
• Memory only: Nothing is saved to your real hard drive
• Simple paths: No support for complex path operations like ~ (home directory)
• No permissions: No file permission system implemented

Educational Value

This program is great for:

• Learning basic file system concepts
• Understanding tree data structures
• Practicing command-line interfaces
• Exploring C++ memory management
• Understanding how real file systems work at a basic level

Possible Extensions

You could enhance this program by adding:

• File content storage and editing
• File permissions (read/write/execute)
• File size simulation
• Copy and move operations
• Save/load file system state to disk
• Tab completion for commands
• Command history

Troubleshooting

Program crashes when using pipes (like echo "ls" | ./navigator.exe)

• This is now fixed! The program properly handles EOF and exits gracefully.

Can't create files/directories with certain names

• Names cannot contain the '/' character (this is by design)

"Path not found" errors

• Make sure the directory exists before trying to navigate to it
• Use ls to see what's available in the current directory

Contributing

Feel free to modify and extend this program! Some ideas:

• Add new commands
• Improve error messages
• Add file content support
• Create a GUI version

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Happy navigating! 🚀