codex-lv2-may-2025

1 | 2 | Current Level: 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Lesson: Create Files Using the `touch` Command

Step 1: Use `touch` to Create a File

From your terminal, run the following command:
```
touch my_file.txt
```
Check your directory:
```
ls
```
→ You should now see my_file.txt listed.
Open your GUI file explorer and navigate to the same directory. Does my_file.txt appear?

Step 2: Inspect the File

Run the long listing version of ls:
```
ls -l
```
Note the file size of my_file.txt. What do you notice?

Step 3: Clean Up Before Continuing

To avoid confusion later in the lesson, remove the file:
```
rm my_file.txt
```
Confirm the file was deleted:
```
ls
```

Step 4: Understand File Naming Conventions

Files often use a two-part name separated by a dot. Examples:
```
thesis.txt
picture.png
config.cfg
report.pdf
```
The part after the dot is called the file extension. It suggests what kind of data the file contains.
This is only a convention — the computer doesn’t enforce it. For example, renaming an image as song.mp3 won’t convert it into audio.

Reflection Questions

Why might you use touch instead of a text editor to create a file?
What problems might happen if files are misnamed or have misleading extensions?

1 | 2 | Current Level: 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7