I've noticed that in the file system, there are references for **.** and **..**. I'm curious if these are just applications in every folder that allow you to navigate to the current directory and the parent directory, respectively. Can someone explain what they really are?
3 Answers
The single dot **(.)** refers to your current directory, while the double dot **(..)** points to the parent directory of wherever you currently are. They aren’t applications; instead, they are default directory entries that help with navigation.
You're right that **.** and **..** are links. They are created automatically when you set up a directory. **.** is a hard link to the current folder and **..** is a hard link to the folder right above it, which allows you to navigate using relative paths. For example, **../..** references a file two directories up!
So, basically, **..** gets you up to the parent directory and **.** keeps you in your current spot. Makes sense!
Yeah, it’s interesting. When you create a new directory, **.** refers to itself and **..** refers to the directory that contains it. This lets you use relative paths easily and keeps everything organized.
I think it’s important to be precise—**..** is technically the parent, not just 'back.' If you really want to return to the last directory you were in, you'd use **cd -** instead.