verzeichnisse

Verzeichnisse is the plural form of Verzeichnis, a German term for a structured list or catalogue of items. It denotes an organized collection where entries are grouped according to a system, often arranged hierarchically or according to predefined categories. The concept spans multiple domains, including computing, publishing and information management, and can refer to both physical and digital listings.

In computing, a Verzeichnis or directory is a container that holds files and possibly other Verzeichnisse (subdirectories). Directories are arranged in a hierarchical structure called a directory tree. Each item has metadata such as name, size, timestamps and permissions. Access to a directory is controlled by path names and permission settings. Common examples are the root directory and user or system directories. Directory operations include create, list, move and delete. Path notation can be absolute or relative, depending on the operating system (for example /home/user on Unix-like systems or C:\Users on Windows).

Outside of file systems, Verzeichnisse serve as indexes, catalogues or registries. They can be personal or organizational addresses or contact lists (Adressverzeichnis), bibliographic directories in libraries, or gazetteers in geography. In printed works, a Verzeichnis may function as an index listing topics or names, sometimes distinguished from a table of contents (Inhaltsverzeichnis) or a register (Register).

In the digital realm, web directories and other catalogues organize resources, services and metadata to facilitate lookup and navigation through structured information.