Leaf

What does a computer's hard disk have in common with a tall oak? While it may not look like a tree on the outside, the hard disk is organized the same way. Directories of files and folders on a hard drive are organized into branches, where each directory is a branch with files and folders. Folders make up the branches, while files are the leaves. Therefore a leaf is a file within a directory on your hard drive.

Technically speaking, a leaf is a node on a tree with no child nodes. Because files cannot have child nodes like folders can, they are always leafs. When referring to a tree structure, a leaf can also be called a leaf node.

Updated in 2006 by Per C.

quizTest Your Knowledge

The maximum data transfer rate of a Cat 5e cable is how much faster than Cat 5?

A
10
0%
B
100
0%
C
1,000
0%
D
10,000
0%
Correct! Incorrect!     View the Cat 5e definition.
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