A file manager or file browser is a computer program that provides a user interface to manage files and folders. The most common operations performed on files or groups of files include creating, opening (e.g., viewing, playing, editing, or printing), renaming, copying, moving, deleting, and searching for files, as well as modifying file attributes, properties, and file permissions. Folders and files may be displayed in a hierarchical tree based on their directory structure.
Some file managers move multiple files by copying and deleting each selected file from the source individually, while others first copy all selected files, then delete them from the source afterward, as described in computer file § Moving methods.
Some file managers contain features analogous to web browsers, including forwarding and back navigational buttons.
Some file managers provide network connectivity via protocols, such as FTP, HTTP, NFS, SMB, or WebDAV. This is achieved by allowing the user to browse for a file server (connecting and accessing the server’s file system like a local file system) or by providing its own full client implementations for file server protocols.