GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual

22.6: Information about Files

The functions described in this section all operate on strings that designate file names. All the functions have names that begin with the word `file'. These functions all return information about actual files or directories, so their arguments must all exist as actual files or directories unless otherwise noted.

• Testing Accessibility Is a given file readable? Writable?
• Kinds of Files Is it a directory? A symbolic link?
• Truenames Eliminating symbolic links from a file name.
• File Attributes How large is it? Any other names? Etc.