Question

When writing a program that performs an operation on a file, what two file- associated names do you have to work with in your code?

Short answer

Answer: The two file-associated names used in such a program are the "File Path" to locate the file in the file system, and the "File Handle" to manage and manipulate the file after it has been opened.

Step-by-step solution

Understand File Handling in Programming

File handling in programming refers to the process of creating, reading, writing, and managing files using code. This is a crucial aspect of many programs, as it allows the storage and retrieval of data. To work with files in a programming language, you typically need to use certain file-associated names to interact with and manipulate the file.

Identify the First File-associated Name: File Path

The first file-associated name you need to work with in your code is the "File Path." The file path is a string that specifies the location of the file on the computer's file system. This can be an absolute file path, which includes the entire path starting from the root directory, or a relative file path, which is relative to the current working directory of the program. The file path is required to locate the file in the file system so that the program can perform operations on it.

Identify the Second File-associated Name: File Handle

The second file-associated name you need to work with in your code is the "File Handle." A file handle is an object or a reference that your program uses to interact with the file once it has been opened. File handles are created by the programming language's file handling library when a file is opened and are used for reading, writing, or modifying the file. The file handle is essential to manage and manipulate the file after it has been opened by your code. In conclusion, when writing a program that performs an operation on a file, you need to work with two file-associated names: the "File Path" to locate the file in the file system, and the "File Handle" to manage and manipulate the file after it has been opened.