Editing Symbolic link (section)

{{Short description|Any file that contains a reference to another file or directory}}
{{for|the Microsoft data exchange format|Symbolic Link (SYLK)}}

In [[computing]], a '''symbolic link''' (also '''symlink''' or '''soft link''') is a file whose purpose is to point to a file or directory (called the "target") by specifying a [[Path (computing)|path]] thereto.<ref>[https://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/basedefs/xbd_chap04.html#tag_04_11 Pathname resolution], [[POSIX]].</ref>

Symbolic links are supported by [[POSIX]] and by most [[Unix-like]] [[operating system]]s, such as [[FreeBSD]], [[Linux]], and [[macOS]]. Support also exists in [[Windows 10]] and [[Windows 11|11]].<ref name="windows-support">{{cite web|url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/mklink |title=Windows mklink Command}}</ref> [[Compatible Time-Sharing System#File system|CTSS]] on [[IBM 7090]] had files linked by name in 1963.<ref name="50th">{{cite web |url=https://multicians.org/thvv/compatible-time-sharing-system.pdf |title=Compatible Time-Sharing System (1961-1973): Fiftieth Anniversary Commemorative Overview |editor-last1=Walden |editor-first1=David |editor-last2=Van Vleck |editor-first2=Tom |editor2-link=Tom Van Vleck |date=2011 |publisher=IEEE Computer Society |access-date=February 20, 2022 |quote=As CTSS developed, we provided ways for users to share their files on disk, through “common files” and “linking,”}}</ref><ref name="ctsspg69">{{cite web |url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/mit/ctss/CTSS_ProgrammersGuide_Dec69.pdf |title=The Compatible Time-Sharing System, A Programmer's Guide |editor-last=Crisman |editor-first=Patricia A. |date=December 31, 1969 |publisher=The M.I.T Computation Center |access-date=March 10, 2022 |quote=U.F.D. entries that point to other U.F.D. entries instead of to the file itself}}</ref><ref name="ctsspg63">{{cite web |url=https://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/Documents/CTSS_ProgrammersGuide.pdf |title=The Compatible Time-Sharing System A Programmer's Guide |first1=F. J. |last1=Corbato |authorlink1=Fernando J. Corbató |first2=M. M. |last2=Daggett |first3=R. C. |last3=Daley |first4=R. J. |last4=Creasy |first5=J. D. |last5=Hellwig |first6=R. H. |last6=Orenstein |first7=L. K. |last7=Korn |date=1963 |publisher=MIT |access-date=November 29, 2022 |quote=Link: The format is similar to Copy. The specified file is not copied}}</ref> By 1978 minicomputer operating systems from [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]], and in Data General's [[Data General RDOS|RDOS]] included symbolic links.