Editing File change log

{{about|a log tacking changes to files, a file system|files for containing a change log|changelog|and|log file}}
A '''file change log''' tracks changes to the namespace (files and directories) of a [[file system]]. Depending on the implementation, a file change [[Data logging|log]] in computing will record changes such as creates, links, unlinks (deletions), renamed files, data changes, and metadata changes (for example, [[Access control list|ACLs]] and permissions). A file change log can be accessed as a file in the file system, or hidden and accessed only programmatically.

A file change log differs from a file system's [[journaling file system|journal]].

==Purposes==
Such a log can serve at least two purposes. First, some applications must scan an entire file system to discover changes since their last scan. By reading a file change log, they can avoid this scan. Scanning applications include [[Backup software|backup utilities]], [[web crawler]], [[search engine]]s, and replication programs. Second, the log can serve as an audit record for activity in a file system.

Some applications and software provide functionality to create a file change log. For example [[Adobe Acrobat]] 9 allows users to create a file change log for documents with [[Bates numbering]] which is typically used in the [[legal]] profession.<ref name="x549">{{cite web | title=Adobe Acrobat 9 Covers Standard, Pro, and Pro Extended| website=Google | url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Adobe_Acrobat_9/CtelS5ALxQoC?hl=en&gbpv=0 | page=258 | access-date=2025-06-01}}</ref>

In [[cyber security]] it can be used for monitoring and to determine conflicts with compatibility issues.<ref name="t718">{{cite book | last=Park | first=James J. (Jong Hyuk) | last2=Chen | first2=Shu-Ching | last3=Choo | first3=Kim-Kwang Raymond | title=Advanced Multimedia and Ubiquitous Engineering | publisher=Springer | publication-place=Singapore | date=2017-05-11 | isbn=978-981-10-5041-1 | page=191}}</ref>

The log is also used in accounting and business management to monitor bills, inventories and changes by individuals to these records.<ref name="l393">{{cite book | last=Bragg | first=Steven M. | title=Management Accounting Best Practices | publisher=John Wiley & Sons | date=2008-05-13 | isbn=978-0-470-17993-2 | page=102}}</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:Computer file systems]]