File Organization and Processing [Hardcover]

Alan L. Tharp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 18, 1988 | ISBN-10: 0471605212 | ISBN-13: 978-0471605218 | Edition: 1

Introduces the many and powerful data structures for representing information physically (in contrast to a database management system that represents information with logical structures). Covers specialized data structures, and explains how to choose the appropriate algorithm or data structure for the job at hand. The four sections treat primary file organizations, bit level and related structures, tree structures, and file sorting. Opening chapters cover sequential file organization, direct file organization, indexed sequential file organization, bits of information, secondary key retrieval, and bits and hashing. Following chapters cover binary tree structures, B-trees and derivatives, hashing techniques for expandable files, other tree structures, more on secondary key retrieval, sorting, and applying file structures. Contains pseudocode, or an outline in English, for most algorithms. Includes end-of-section questions, with answers to some. Extensively illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

File Organization and Processing presents theories of storing information on persistent media, such as tapes and disks. It covers issues such as how a read-write head actually moves around the surface of a platter and how search algorithms (in general) can be optimized to find requested information quickly. This book is appropriate if you're designing your own operating system, but you should look elsewhere for more concrete file system information.

The beginning of the guide covers file organization and compares and contrasts sequential, direct, and indexed sequential approaches. Author Alan Tharp highlights each system's means of storing, locating, and checking information. Then the author moves on to describe data at the bit level--the actual ones and zeroes that are encoded on a piece of media to represent data. Tharp also discusses superimposed coding, a sort of efficiency routine that conserves disk space.

Tharp features a multitude of information about trees, exploring binary trees, b-trees, hashing, tree hashing, and PATRICIA trees for the benefit of his readers. Then he gets into sorting at the file-system level, explaining all the usual sorts, plus algorithms that are unique to persistent storage media. He wraps up with some exercises that illustrate his ideas.

From the Publisher

Introduces the many and powerful data structures for representing information physically (in contrast to a database management system that represents information with logical structures). Covers specialized data structures, and explains how to choose the appropriate algorithm or data structure for the job at hand. The four sections treat primary file organizations, bit level and related structures, tree structures, and file sorting. Opening chapters cover sequential file organization, direct file organization, indexed sequential file organization, bits of information, secondary key retrieval, and bits and hashing. Following chapters cover binary tree structures, B-trees and derivatives, hashing techniques for expandable files, other tree structures, more on secondary key retrieval, sorting, and applying file structures. Contains pseudocode, or an outline in English, for most algorithms. Includes end-of-section questions, with answers to some. Extensively illustrated.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 18, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471605212
• ISBN-13: 978-0471605218
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,213 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have and place near Knuth on the bookshelf, September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: File Organization and Processing (Hardcover)

It's ~old book (1988), but it still very actual now, and will be actual in future. This book contain only principles and algorithms, but it all showed so deep and clear, so I was very impressed then read it first time. B-tree type structures description is best I ever seen. (Need to have this book if You perform serious low-level work on NTFS, BFS or other File System, based on B-trees.). And even if You not work with such File Systems - this book is classic algorithm book and I put it on my bookshelf near Knuth's volumes.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a former Tharp student: Excellent!, January 14, 1998

By 

joe_n_bloe (Ester AK USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: File Organization and Processing (Hardcover)

I've got a whole bookshelf of algorithms books, and this is by far the best book on file organization in my collection. Tharp was one of the best professors I ever had, and it was a pleasure to work from his excellent (and unfortunately hard to find) book. If I had to own a single book on this topic, well, here it is.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, April 13, 2006

By 

B. I. Sevindi - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: File Organization and Processing (Hardcover)

This book is the text book of my cs education of file organization. And i can comfortably say that it gives much insight not just on file organization but also on algorithms. I haven't read all the chapters but among the chapters i read, without any exaggeration i can say that i've learnt every word of what the author wants teach.