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Explain different types of file access method.
Explain different types of file access method.
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Different types of file access method:
There are three ways to access a file into a computer system: Sequential-Access, Direct Access,
Index sequential Method.
Sequential Access
• Data is accessed one record right after another record in an order.
• When we use read command, it move ahead pointer by one
• When we use write command, it will allocate memory and move the pointer to the end of
the file
• Such a method is reasonable for tape.
Direct Access
Another method is direct access method also known as relative access method. A filed-length
logical record that allows the program to read and write record rapidly. in no particular order. The
direct access is based on the disk model of a file since disk allows random access to any file block.
For direct access, the file is viewed as a numbered sequence of block or record.
Index sequential method
It is the other method of accessing a file which is built on the top of the direct access method.
These methods construct an index for the file. The index, like an index in the back of a book,
contains the pointer to the various blocks. To find a record in the file, we first search the index and
then by the help of pointer we access the file directly.
The file access methods in os are sequential access, direct access, and indexed sequential access. Sequential access allows access to the file records in sequential order, one after the other. Direct access method in file access methods in os allows random access to the file blocks.