What order were files/directories output in dir?
In the version of command.com included with MS-DOS, DIR seems to print files in a random order, but if one runs multiple DIR commands, they all print the files in the same order. This order does not appear to be based on date, size, or alphabetization. So what is the order? Does it simply print whatever files it finds first?
ms-dos
edited Apr 19 at 17:39
Stephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
asked Apr 18 at 23:38
TSJNachos117TSJNachos117
1585
New contributor
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add a comment |
In the version of command.com included with MS-DOS, DIR seems to print files in a random order, but if one runs multiple DIR commands, they all print the files in the same order. This order does not appear to be based on date, size, or alphabetization. So what is the order? Does it simply print whatever files it finds first?
ms-dos
edited Apr 19 at 17:39
Stephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
asked Apr 18 at 23:38
TSJNachos117TSJNachos117
1585
New contributor
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
related: Default file order of "dir" command in Windows console, What order does the DIR command arrange files if no sort order is specified?
– phuclv
Apr 19 at 16:55
As an early DOS user (1.0, I think) it used to bug me that it would not show files and later (in DOS 2.0 and above) folders in alphabetical order. Norton Utilities solved that by providing ds.com (.exe?) or dirsort which allowed you to do just that, sort your files and folders in whatever order you prefered, with an /s switch to do sub-folders as well. I think I used ds more than any other command before the version of DOS came out where alphabetical was the default order. I used ts (textsearch) a lot, too.
– Bill Hileman
yesterday
add a comment |
In the version of command.com included with MS-DOS, DIR seems to print files in a random order, but if one runs multiple DIR commands, they all print the files in the same order. This order does not appear to be based on date, size, or alphabetization. So what is the order? Does it simply print whatever files it finds first?
ms-dos
edited Apr 19 at 17:39
Stephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
asked Apr 18 at 23:38
TSJNachos117TSJNachos117
1585
New contributor
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
In the version of command.com included with MS-DOS, DIR seems to print files in a random order, but if one runs multiple DIR commands, they all print the files in the same order. This order does not appear to be based on date, size, or alphabetization. So what is the order? Does it simply print whatever files it finds first?
ms-dos
ms-dos
edited Apr 19 at 17:39
Stephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
asked Apr 18 at 23:38
TSJNachos117TSJNachos117
1585
New contributor
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited Apr 19 at 17:39
Stephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
asked Apr 18 at 23:38
TSJNachos117TSJNachos117
1585
New contributor
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited Apr 19 at 17:39
Stephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
edited Apr 19 at 17:39
Stephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
edited Apr 19 at 17:39
Stephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
41.1k8169177
asked Apr 18 at 23:38
TSJNachos117TSJNachos117
1585
New contributor
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Apr 18 at 23:38
TSJNachos117TSJNachos117
1585
asked Apr 18 at 23:38
TSJNachos117TSJNachos117
1585
1585
New contributor
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
related: Default file order of "dir" command in Windows console, What order does the DIR command arrange files if no sort order is specified?
– phuclv
Apr 19 at 16:55
As an early DOS user (1.0, I think) it used to bug me that it would not show files and later (in DOS 2.0 and above) folders in alphabetical order. Norton Utilities solved that by providing ds.com (.exe?) or dirsort which allowed you to do just that, sort your files and folders in whatever order you prefered, with an /s switch to do sub-folders as well. I think I used ds more than any other command before the version of DOS came out where alphabetical was the default order. I used ts (textsearch) a lot, too.
– Bill Hileman
yesterday
add a comment |
1
related: Default file order of "dir" command in Windows console, What order does the DIR command arrange files if no sort order is specified?
– phuclv
Apr 19 at 16:55
As an early DOS user (1.0, I think) it used to bug me that it would not show files and later (in DOS 2.0 and above) folders in alphabetical order. Norton Utilities solved that by providing ds.com (.exe?) or dirsort which allowed you to do just that, sort your files and folders in whatever order you prefered, with an /s switch to do sub-folders as well. I think I used ds more than any other command before the version of DOS came out where alphabetical was the default order. I used ts (textsearch) a lot, too.
– Bill Hileman
yesterday
1
1
related: Default file order of "dir" command in Windows console, What order does the DIR command arrange files if no sort order is specified?
– phuclv
Apr 19 at 16:55
related: Default file order of "dir" command in Windows console, What order does the DIR command arrange files if no sort order is specified?
– phuclv
Apr 19 at 16:55
As an early DOS user (1.0, I think) it used to bug me that it would not show files and later (in DOS 2.0 and above) folders in alphabetical order. Norton Utilities solved that by providing ds.com (.exe?) or dirsort which allowed you to do just that, sort your files and folders in whatever order you prefered, with an /s switch to do sub-folders as well. I think I used ds more than any other command before the version of DOS came out where alphabetical was the default order. I used ts (textsearch) a lot, too.
– Bill Hileman
yesterday
As an early DOS user (1.0, I think) it used to bug me that it would not show files and later (in DOS 2.0 and above) folders in alphabetical order. Norton Utilities solved that by providing ds.com (.exe?) or dirsort which allowed you to do just that, sort your files and folders in whatever order you prefered, with an /s switch to do sub-folders as well. I think I used ds more than any other command before the version of DOS came out where alphabetical was the default order. I used ts (textsearch) a lot, too.
– Bill Hileman
yesterday
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
When a new file is created in a FAT-based file system, its entry will be placed in the first vacant directory slot, if there is one, or else the directory will be extended to add another cluster worth of vacant slots (and the new entry will be placed in the first of those). If no files are ever deleted, files will be assigned directory entries in the order of creation.
Before the advent of long file names, each file that was deleted would result in an empty directory slot, which would get filled by the next file to be created. Long file names complicate this process because they are stored using multiple consecutive directory slots (though I don't know the exact process).
The "dir" command in MS-DOS defaults to reporting files in the same order as their directory entries, but command-line arguments in later versions allow sorting by various criteria.
answered Apr 19 at 2:40
supercatsupercat
8,195942
Some details about long file names, by Raymond Chen: devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20110826-00/?p=9793
– fernando.reyes
Apr 19 at 18:55
And with the knowledge that new entries will be placed in the first vacant slot, you could actually manually order the directory with carefully orderedDELandCOPYoperations (I have done that).
– dirkt
2 days ago
add a comment |
DIR lists files in the order they’re returned by the find first and find next calls.
On FAT file systems, RAM drives, CD-ROMs etc. this is the order of the directory entries on disk, which on FAT file systems is file creation order as long as no files are deleted. On network file systems, it’s whatever order the server and redirector choose. Other file system drivers can exhibit different behaviour; thus on HPFS and NTFS, which sort directories’ contents on disk, files are returned in the file systems sort order (as can be seen in OS/2 or Windows virtual DOS boxes on HPFS or NTFS volumes).
There are tools which will re-order entries on disk, to provide a permanent sort order for DIR. Defragmenting could also re-order files (commonly, directories first, then files).
DOS 5 added various sorting options to DIR itself; the order then depends only on those, when present.
answered Apr 19 at 5:44
Stephen KittStephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
A VDM in OS/2 or Windows NT was a third case, halfway between. Local disc volumes weren't presented as network redirected, but neither were the underlying filesystems unsorted. They were often HPFS or NTFS where directories are sorted by their nature.
– JdeBP
Apr 19 at 17:41
add a comment |
Whatever it finds first. DIR in MS-DOS command.com starts at the beginning of the directory table and reads it through to the end. The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table.
answered Apr 19 at 0:37
RETRACRETRAC
915411
1
"The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table." If the other two answers are correct, that's not strictly true. Rather, the files would be in the order in which they exist in the directory entries list. Is that what you meant, or are you proposing an answer different from that of the other two currently existing answers?
– a CVn
Apr 20 at 18:51
add a comment |
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3 Answers
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When a new file is created in a FAT-based file system, its entry will be placed in the first vacant directory slot, if there is one, or else the directory will be extended to add another cluster worth of vacant slots (and the new entry will be placed in the first of those). If no files are ever deleted, files will be assigned directory entries in the order of creation.
Before the advent of long file names, each file that was deleted would result in an empty directory slot, which would get filled by the next file to be created. Long file names complicate this process because they are stored using multiple consecutive directory slots (though I don't know the exact process).
The "dir" command in MS-DOS defaults to reporting files in the same order as their directory entries, but command-line arguments in later versions allow sorting by various criteria.
answered Apr 19 at 2:40
supercatsupercat
8,195942
Some details about long file names, by Raymond Chen: devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20110826-00/?p=9793
– fernando.reyes
Apr 19 at 18:55
And with the knowledge that new entries will be placed in the first vacant slot, you could actually manually order the directory with carefully orderedDELandCOPYoperations (I have done that).
– dirkt
2 days ago
add a comment |
When a new file is created in a FAT-based file system, its entry will be placed in the first vacant directory slot, if there is one, or else the directory will be extended to add another cluster worth of vacant slots (and the new entry will be placed in the first of those). If no files are ever deleted, files will be assigned directory entries in the order of creation.
Before the advent of long file names, each file that was deleted would result in an empty directory slot, which would get filled by the next file to be created. Long file names complicate this process because they are stored using multiple consecutive directory slots (though I don't know the exact process).
The "dir" command in MS-DOS defaults to reporting files in the same order as their directory entries, but command-line arguments in later versions allow sorting by various criteria.
answered Apr 19 at 2:40
supercatsupercat
8,195942
Some details about long file names, by Raymond Chen: devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20110826-00/?p=9793
– fernando.reyes
Apr 19 at 18:55
And with the knowledge that new entries will be placed in the first vacant slot, you could actually manually order the directory with carefully orderedDELandCOPYoperations (I have done that).
– dirkt
2 days ago
add a comment |
When a new file is created in a FAT-based file system, its entry will be placed in the first vacant directory slot, if there is one, or else the directory will be extended to add another cluster worth of vacant slots (and the new entry will be placed in the first of those). If no files are ever deleted, files will be assigned directory entries in the order of creation.
Before the advent of long file names, each file that was deleted would result in an empty directory slot, which would get filled by the next file to be created. Long file names complicate this process because they are stored using multiple consecutive directory slots (though I don't know the exact process).
The "dir" command in MS-DOS defaults to reporting files in the same order as their directory entries, but command-line arguments in later versions allow sorting by various criteria.
answered Apr 19 at 2:40
supercatsupercat
8,195942
When a new file is created in a FAT-based file system, its entry will be placed in the first vacant directory slot, if there is one, or else the directory will be extended to add another cluster worth of vacant slots (and the new entry will be placed in the first of those). If no files are ever deleted, files will be assigned directory entries in the order of creation.
Before the advent of long file names, each file that was deleted would result in an empty directory slot, which would get filled by the next file to be created. Long file names complicate this process because they are stored using multiple consecutive directory slots (though I don't know the exact process).
The "dir" command in MS-DOS defaults to reporting files in the same order as their directory entries, but command-line arguments in later versions allow sorting by various criteria.
answered Apr 19 at 2:40
supercatsupercat
8,195942
answered Apr 19 at 2:40
supercatsupercat
8,195942
answered Apr 19 at 2:40
supercatsupercat
8,195942
answered Apr 19 at 2:40
supercatsupercat
8,195942
8,195942
Some details about long file names, by Raymond Chen: devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20110826-00/?p=9793
– fernando.reyes
Apr 19 at 18:55
And with the knowledge that new entries will be placed in the first vacant slot, you could actually manually order the directory with carefully orderedDELandCOPYoperations (I have done that).
– dirkt
2 days ago
add a comment |
Some details about long file names, by Raymond Chen: devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20110826-00/?p=9793
– fernando.reyes
Apr 19 at 18:55
And with the knowledge that new entries will be placed in the first vacant slot, you could actually manually order the directory with carefully orderedDELandCOPYoperations (I have done that).
– dirkt
2 days ago
Some details about long file names, by Raymond Chen: devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20110826-00/?p=9793
– fernando.reyes
Apr 19 at 18:55
Some details about long file names, by Raymond Chen: devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20110826-00/?p=9793
– fernando.reyes
Apr 19 at 18:55
And with the knowledge that new entries will be placed in the first vacant slot, you could actually manually order the directory with carefully ordered
DEL and COPY operations (I have done that).– dirkt
2 days ago
And with the knowledge that new entries will be placed in the first vacant slot, you could actually manually order the directory with carefully ordered
DEL and COPY operations (I have done that).– dirkt
2 days ago
add a comment |
DIR lists files in the order they’re returned by the find first and find next calls.
On FAT file systems, RAM drives, CD-ROMs etc. this is the order of the directory entries on disk, which on FAT file systems is file creation order as long as no files are deleted. On network file systems, it’s whatever order the server and redirector choose. Other file system drivers can exhibit different behaviour; thus on HPFS and NTFS, which sort directories’ contents on disk, files are returned in the file systems sort order (as can be seen in OS/2 or Windows virtual DOS boxes on HPFS or NTFS volumes).
There are tools which will re-order entries on disk, to provide a permanent sort order for DIR. Defragmenting could also re-order files (commonly, directories first, then files).
DOS 5 added various sorting options to DIR itself; the order then depends only on those, when present.
answered Apr 19 at 5:44
Stephen KittStephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
A VDM in OS/2 or Windows NT was a third case, halfway between. Local disc volumes weren't presented as network redirected, but neither were the underlying filesystems unsorted. They were often HPFS or NTFS where directories are sorted by their nature.
– JdeBP
Apr 19 at 17:41
add a comment |
DIR lists files in the order they’re returned by the find first and find next calls.
On FAT file systems, RAM drives, CD-ROMs etc. this is the order of the directory entries on disk, which on FAT file systems is file creation order as long as no files are deleted. On network file systems, it’s whatever order the server and redirector choose. Other file system drivers can exhibit different behaviour; thus on HPFS and NTFS, which sort directories’ contents on disk, files are returned in the file systems sort order (as can be seen in OS/2 or Windows virtual DOS boxes on HPFS or NTFS volumes).
There are tools which will re-order entries on disk, to provide a permanent sort order for DIR. Defragmenting could also re-order files (commonly, directories first, then files).
DOS 5 added various sorting options to DIR itself; the order then depends only on those, when present.
answered Apr 19 at 5:44
Stephen KittStephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
A VDM in OS/2 or Windows NT was a third case, halfway between. Local disc volumes weren't presented as network redirected, but neither were the underlying filesystems unsorted. They were often HPFS or NTFS where directories are sorted by their nature.
– JdeBP
Apr 19 at 17:41
add a comment |
DIR lists files in the order they’re returned by the find first and find next calls.
On FAT file systems, RAM drives, CD-ROMs etc. this is the order of the directory entries on disk, which on FAT file systems is file creation order as long as no files are deleted. On network file systems, it’s whatever order the server and redirector choose. Other file system drivers can exhibit different behaviour; thus on HPFS and NTFS, which sort directories’ contents on disk, files are returned in the file systems sort order (as can be seen in OS/2 or Windows virtual DOS boxes on HPFS or NTFS volumes).
There are tools which will re-order entries on disk, to provide a permanent sort order for DIR. Defragmenting could also re-order files (commonly, directories first, then files).
DOS 5 added various sorting options to DIR itself; the order then depends only on those, when present.
answered Apr 19 at 5:44
Stephen KittStephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
DIR lists files in the order they’re returned by the find first and find next calls.
On FAT file systems, RAM drives, CD-ROMs etc. this is the order of the directory entries on disk, which on FAT file systems is file creation order as long as no files are deleted. On network file systems, it’s whatever order the server and redirector choose. Other file system drivers can exhibit different behaviour; thus on HPFS and NTFS, which sort directories’ contents on disk, files are returned in the file systems sort order (as can be seen in OS/2 or Windows virtual DOS boxes on HPFS or NTFS volumes).
There are tools which will re-order entries on disk, to provide a permanent sort order for DIR. Defragmenting could also re-order files (commonly, directories first, then files).
DOS 5 added various sorting options to DIR itself; the order then depends only on those, when present.
answered Apr 19 at 5:44
Stephen KittStephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
edited Apr 19 at 18:52
answered Apr 19 at 5:44
Stephen KittStephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
answered Apr 19 at 5:44
Stephen KittStephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
answered Apr 19 at 5:44
Stephen KittStephen Kitt
41.1k8169177
41.1k8169177
A VDM in OS/2 or Windows NT was a third case, halfway between. Local disc volumes weren't presented as network redirected, but neither were the underlying filesystems unsorted. They were often HPFS or NTFS where directories are sorted by their nature.
– JdeBP
Apr 19 at 17:41
add a comment |
A VDM in OS/2 or Windows NT was a third case, halfway between. Local disc volumes weren't presented as network redirected, but neither were the underlying filesystems unsorted. They were often HPFS or NTFS where directories are sorted by their nature.
– JdeBP
Apr 19 at 17:41
A VDM in OS/2 or Windows NT was a third case, halfway between. Local disc volumes weren't presented as network redirected, but neither were the underlying filesystems unsorted. They were often HPFS or NTFS where directories are sorted by their nature.
– JdeBP
Apr 19 at 17:41
A VDM in OS/2 or Windows NT was a third case, halfway between. Local disc volumes weren't presented as network redirected, but neither were the underlying filesystems unsorted. They were often HPFS or NTFS where directories are sorted by their nature.
– JdeBP
Apr 19 at 17:41
add a comment |
Whatever it finds first. DIR in MS-DOS command.com starts at the beginning of the directory table and reads it through to the end. The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table.
answered Apr 19 at 0:37
RETRACRETRAC
915411
1
"The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table." If the other two answers are correct, that's not strictly true. Rather, the files would be in the order in which they exist in the directory entries list. Is that what you meant, or are you proposing an answer different from that of the other two currently existing answers?
– a CVn
Apr 20 at 18:51
add a comment |
Whatever it finds first. DIR in MS-DOS command.com starts at the beginning of the directory table and reads it through to the end. The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table.
answered Apr 19 at 0:37
RETRACRETRAC
915411
1
"The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table." If the other two answers are correct, that's not strictly true. Rather, the files would be in the order in which they exist in the directory entries list. Is that what you meant, or are you proposing an answer different from that of the other two currently existing answers?
– a CVn
Apr 20 at 18:51
add a comment |
Whatever it finds first. DIR in MS-DOS command.com starts at the beginning of the directory table and reads it through to the end. The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table.
answered Apr 19 at 0:37
RETRACRETRAC
915411
Whatever it finds first. DIR in MS-DOS command.com starts at the beginning of the directory table and reads it through to the end. The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table.
answered Apr 19 at 0:37
RETRACRETRAC
915411
answered Apr 19 at 0:37
RETRACRETRAC
915411
answered Apr 19 at 0:37
RETRACRETRAC
915411
answered Apr 19 at 0:37
RETRACRETRAC
915411
915411
1
"The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table." If the other two answers are correct, that's not strictly true. Rather, the files would be in the order in which they exist in the directory entries list. Is that what you meant, or are you proposing an answer different from that of the other two currently existing answers?
– a CVn
Apr 20 at 18:51
add a comment |
1
"The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table." If the other two answers are correct, that's not strictly true. Rather, the files would be in the order in which they exist in the directory entries list. Is that what you meant, or are you proposing an answer different from that of the other two currently existing answers?
– a CVn
Apr 20 at 18:51
1
1
"The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table." If the other two answers are correct, that's not strictly true. Rather, the files would be in the order in which they exist in the directory entries list. Is that what you meant, or are you proposing an answer different from that of the other two currently existing answers?
– a CVn
Apr 20 at 18:51
"The files will be in the order they were added to the directory table." If the other two answers are correct, that's not strictly true. Rather, the files would be in the order in which they exist in the directory entries list. Is that what you meant, or are you proposing an answer different from that of the other two currently existing answers?
– a CVn
Apr 20 at 18:51
add a comment |
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
TSJNachos117 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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TSJNachos117 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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related: Default file order of "dir" command in Windows console, What order does the DIR command arrange files if no sort order is specified?
– phuclv
Apr 19 at 16:55
As an early DOS user (1.0, I think) it used to bug me that it would not show files and later (in DOS 2.0 and above) folders in alphabetical order. Norton Utilities solved that by providing ds.com (.exe?) or dirsort which allowed you to do just that, sort your files and folders in whatever order you prefered, with an /s switch to do sub-folders as well. I think I used ds more than any other command before the version of DOS came out where alphabetical was the default order. I used ts (textsearch) a lot, too.
– Bill Hileman
yesterday