# confusion (file pointer and file descripter)

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/confusion-file-pointer-and-file-descripter/164289>\
**Category:** UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers\
**Created:** [August 16, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/confusion-file-pointer-and-file-descripter/164289 "2006-08-16T03:16:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![johnray31](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/johnray31/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@johnray31](https://community.unix.com/u/johnray31)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/confusion-file-pointer-and-file-descripter/164289/1 "2006-08-16T03:16:31Z")

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Hi everybody,

i am newbie to unix and confused with file pointers and file descripters.

could anyone help me to clear my doubts ..  
when we call unix system calls to create a file then we are dealing wih file descripters  
i think file descripters are also normals file as stored inhard disks ..... then why we don'tgive them name ( or is it possible to give file pointers a name so that we could use them as normal file name)

waiting for ur reply

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**Author:** ![tayyabq8](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/tayyabq8/32/483_2.png) [@tayyabq8](https://community.unix.com/u/tayyabq8)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/confusion-file-pointer-and-file-descripter/164289/2 "2006-08-16T03:59:11Z")

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Check this: [File descriptor - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_descriptor)