FAT File System Emulator

Introduction

This project is a custom-built file system emulator written in C++, simulating core file system operations like creating, reading, writing, copying, and removing files and directories. It offers a fully functional Command-Line Interface (CLI) for interacting with the virtual file system. This project provides an educational and testable environment to understand file system behaviors and operations.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Features
• Installation
• Usage
• Available Commands
• Project Structure
• Dependencies
• Testing
• Examples
• Troubleshooting
• License

Features

✅ Custom file system with cluster-based storage
✅ FAT (File Allocation Table) management
✅ Directory structure and metadata handling
✅ File read/write, import/export, and copy/move functionalities
✅ CLI for interactive user commands
✅ Unit tests for critical components
✅ Cross-platform build via CMake and GitHub Actions

Installation

Prerequisites

• CMake (version 3.15 or later recommended)
• C++17 compatible compiler (GCC, Clang, etc.)
• Git

Build Steps

git clone <repository-url>
cd <repository-root>
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
make

To run tests:

ctest --output-on-failure

Usage

After building, run the CLI:

./cli

Example interaction:

Welcome to the File System!
Type 'help' to see available commands.

Available Commands

• help — Show help message
• exit — Exit the program
• clear — Clear the terminal screen
• makefs <path> <size> <cluster_size> — Create a new file system
• openfs <path> — Open an existing file system
• fsinfo — Display file system information
• pwd — Show current working directory
• ls [-l] <path> — List directory contents
• mkdir <path> — Create a directory
• cd <path> — Change directory
• touch <path> — Create an empty file
• cat <path> — Print file contents
• stat <path> — Show file metadata
• rmdir <path> — Remove directory
• rm [-r] <path> — Remove files or directories
• cp [-r] <src> <dst> — Copy files or directories
• mv [-r] <src> <dst> — Move files or directories
• import <host_path> <fs_path> — Import file from host
• export <fs_path> <host_path> — Export file to host

Project Structure

.github/workflows/      # CI/CD configuration for multi-platform builds  
assets/                 # Sample files for import/export testing  
src/                    # Core source code  
 ├── CLI/               # Command-Line Interface implementation  
 ├── FileSystem/        # File system components (FAT, Metadata, File Handlers, etc.)  
tests/                  # Unit and integration tests  
CMakeLists.txt          # Build configuration  
README.md               # Project documentation  
LICENSE                 # License information  

Dependencies

• C++17 Standard Library
• CMake for building
• No external runtime dependencies required

Testing

Run tests after building:

ctest --output-on-failure

Unit tests cover:

• Directory and file operations
• FAT cluster management
• File read/write logic
• CLI command correctness

Examples

Create and use a file system:

makefs myfs.fs 1048576 256
openfs myfs.fs
mkdir /docs
touch /docs/readme.txt
import hostfile.txt /docs/readme.txt
ls /docs
cat /docs/readme.txt
export /docs/readme.txt exported.txt

Troubleshooting

• Cannot open file system: Ensure the .fs file exists and is accessible
• Command not recognized: Use help to verify command syntax
• Build issues: Confirm correct compiler and CMake version installed

License

This project is licensed under the terms of the LICENSE file included in the repository.