mtime, ctime and atime

Question

Can some one explain the difference between MTIME, CTIME and ATIME in Unix. When should I use what when writing data load procedures to check whether my files have been updated or not

Answer 1

Here is a good explanation with examples on mtime ctime and atime

http://dbaspot.com/oracle-faq/444780-unix-mtime-ctime-atime-tutorial.html