delete the file "from" this directory

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kadioguy

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a. You can delete the file from this directory.
b. You can delete the file in this directory.
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Which is better?

"Delete the file from this directory" looks to me that I should find the file, move it somewhere else and then delete it, rather than delete it directly in the directory. I mean, "the file from this directory" seems that it is from there and now it is at another place, like in some context "I'm from the UK" means "I am now at some place besides the UK" (for example, when the person is in Taiwan and introducing
himself).

Perhaps it means something like "go to the garden from this door" which means you can do that by means of (going through) the door. So, "You can delete the file from this directory" means you can delete it by means of (getting into) the directory.

What do you think?

[Update]
A friend told me, "It means that when you click 'OK', the file will be deleted directly from the directory that it is located."
 
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Barque

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"Delete the file from this directory"
I'd take it to mean "Remove it from this directory (and save it somewhere else or delete it altogether)". Usually I'd expect to hear just "Delete this file". This sounds as if the speaker doesn't care if you keep the file or not; he just doesn't want it in that directory.

You can delete the file in this directory.
This sounds a more conventional sentence to me. This means "You can delete the file that is in this directory".
 

Tdol

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Are there other files in the directory? If so, I would use from.
 
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