English UI Terminology: Directory, or Folder?
user-interface
Solution
In my experience, these tend to be the norm:
on Windows or any Mac OS: "Folder" on *nix: "Directory"
The correctness of the term is wrapped up in how much your application behaves and talks like other applications on the platform, so it is best to stick with convention as to not confuse your users.
On the other hand, if the term needs to be cross-platform:
- We can always use the `Folder` term,
- because even if we use the term `Folder` in Linux-based platforms,
- anyone knowing the technical-difference (mentioned) between `Folder` and `Directory` would understand that `Directory` was meant.
For example, in `MacOS` we use `Folder` term, while they are technically-speaking directories.
Problem
When you are designing an application (assumed in English), and you ask the user to provide a path to a directory/folder, do you use the term Directory or Folder? Is one more understood than the other? Is one more "correct" than the other?