SAVE AS...?

or Where’s My File?

by Ann Smith

In the beginning...we need to know how “SAVE AS” works to identify and find the computer files that we create.

It is a simple concept that seems difficult to grasp by many computer novices. Our computer courses’ Instructors have noted that many students who have finished a basic course or courses still do not understand the necessity of using “SAVE AS” to name and give a location for a new file created in any software program (this applies to all files - text, data or graphics, etc.), mostly because they did not quite grasp the “tree” concept of directories and sub-directories.

Filenames

We should learn, early on, that when we create a file, we must give it a unique name if we ever again plan to retrieve it for printing, or to modify it, or to copy it, or to send it via modem. The name that we give the file needs to be something that we will recognize, limited to a maximum of eight (8) ASCII characters - letters or numbers (no spaces). [The name could consist of only one letter or number in DOS and in Windows 3.1 - or can be more than 8 characters in Windows95*].

The file name may or must include an extension of three (3) characters or less, depending on its function or on the program used to create it (programs recognize the extensions set by the criteria of the program’s operating files - many programs automatically assign a unique ext ension and recognize their own data files that way).

The extension that follows a file name and is separated from it by a “dot” or “period”; i.e. oneleter.doc (a text file); or runafile.bat (a batch file of ASCII text - executable); or sol.exe, which starts your solitaire game, and edit.com, the DOS edit command file (.com & .exe are executable machine language files).

Directories or Folders

Once created, the file must be stored in an appropriate directory or folder* ( not in your C:\> Root Directory) since the directory or folder* name also helps to identify & locate the file - it is a part of the “ path” to that file. If you are not real certain about what “directories” or “folders” are, or do, read on for some examples.

Most programs will automatically store the files we create within the directory which contains the program.select, but you still may want to create a “sub-directory” to further isolate specific files of a similar nature or subject. The following example refers to text files created in MS Word for Windows (winword is the program directory or folder) and we will use correspondence as an example.

Examples: You might write both business and personal letters, so it would be practical to store them in: c:\winword\letters\ personal\ and in c:\winword\letters\business\. The directories (folders*) can be created in either DOS or in the windows File Manager (or in Windows95 Explorer). Winword stores its documents, text files, with an extension “ .doc” (MS Works text files are called Word Processing files and the extension is “ .wps”).

So now, in MS Word for Windows, I write a letter to my Aunt Mary and another letter to Microsoft. When the letter to Aunt Mary is finished, I select File from the menu bar and select Save As ... then in the dialog box that appears, I select (click on) the Winword directory (folder*), select the Letters sub-directory (folder*), then select the Personal sub-directory (folder*), and in the File Name box I type in: Mary797 (for my letter to Aunt Mary dated July 10, 1997).

If you want to send the same letter to your Aunt Ella, you could change your salutation to “Dear Aunt Ella”, then select “ Save As” and save the file as Ella797 , c:\winword\letters\ personal\ella797, and both letters ( files) would be stored in letters\personal. Then I type my business letter to Microsoft and when done, “ Save As” c:\winword\letters\business\msft797 .

In Windows 3.1 File Manager or Windows95 Explorer, you can do a Search to find a file IF you remember the file’s name.

A “tree” showing the locations of the above named files would look as follows:

c:\winword (directory)

 letters (a sub-directory of winword)

 personal (a sub-directory of winword, letters)

 ella797.doc (a file stored in winword, letters, personal)

 mary797.doc (a file stored in winword, letters, personal)

 business (a sub-directory of winword, letters)

 msft797.doc (a file stored in winword, letters, business)

Select File, Alt+F, then in the “drop down menu”: Select “ Save As”, A, for the Dialog Box shown here. Now, select the Dri ve, Alt+V; the Directory List, Alt+D ; File Name, Alt+N; and Save File as Type, Alt+T.Programs may give options for several file formats in which a text file may be saved - your software provides conversion factors.

* In Windows95, the “tree” structure for saving a file is the same as the above, except for different terminology; i.e., in Windows 95, a directory is a folder.

Ann Smith, a HAL-PC member, is the Assistant Instructor, Daytime Courses.

E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.

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Last modified: 1997:08:31