Which command would you use to view the contents of a directory including hidden files?

Which command would you use to view the contents of a directory including hidden files?

• A. ls
• B. list
• C. ls -a
• D. dir

Answer: (C)

Using the command `ls -a` is the correct choice for viewing the contents of a directory, including hidden files. In Unix-like operating systems, files and directories that start with a dot (`.`) are considered hidden. By using the `-a` (all) option with the `ls` command, the output includes those hidden files alongside the regular files and directories. The standard `ls` command alone only shows non-hidden files and directories. Options like `list` do not exist as a command in standard Linux distributions, and the `dir` command, while it can list directory contents, typically does not show hidden files by default unless additional flags are used. Therefore, `ls -a` is the most effective command for this purpose.

Using the command ls -a is the correct choice for viewing the contents of a directory, including hidden files. In Unix-like operating systems, files and directories that start with a dot (.) are considered hidden. By using the -a (all) option with the ls command, the output includes those hidden files alongside the regular files and directories.

The standard ls command alone only shows non-hidden files and directories. Options like list do not exist as a command in standard Linux distributions, and the dir command, while it can list directory contents, typically does not show hidden files by default unless additional flags are used. Therefore, ls -a is the most effective command for this purpose.