1

I know how to attach multiple files to emails, just add them to an archive and send the archive instead. But I'm curious, why exactly can't we attach actual directories to emails? Is it a technology issue? It's 2015, wouldn't we have figured this out by now?

I have searched this question on Google but I just see websites telling me how to send multiple files (by archiving them).

Improve this question
1
  • 2
    It would be inefficient and possibly not portable. You would be trying to send a piece of a filesystem. First you would have to reconstruct a mini-filesystem that consisted of just the directory you want to send. Then you would be sending not just the salient data, but also the filesystem metadata. Then what to do with it when received? You're creating more problems than solving one. Sending an archive is practical because it is efficient and portable.
    – sawdust
    Oct 28, 2015 at 18:20

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4

Short answer, Folders don't actually exist the way files do.

A directory/folder is a metadata abstraction created by the filesystem, and while their names exist as metadata, and their contents are linked to their names, that data can't stand on its own outside of the filesystem on which they were established. Every filesystem and OS handle them differantly, and there is no likelihood of cross-platform compatibility. tar/zip/etc were developed to be cross-platform, so they already perform that task.

We could have figured out a way to do as you suggest, but it would be a huge endeavor, and no one has seen that as a meaningful improvement over the ability to just zip/tar/rar a set of files together.

Improve this answer
1
  • Thank you, that clears it right up. I forgot that directories exist on the filesystem only.
    – Fam
    Oct 28, 2015 at 20:02

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .