You're designing a file system where efficient directory traversal is crucial. Would you choose a tree-based or graph-based structure for representing directories and files? Justify your choice.

In a file system, the choice between tree-based and graph-based structures depends on the specific requirements. A tree-based structure, such as a hierarchical directory tree, is suitable for efficient directory traversal because it naturally organizes directories and files in a hierarchical manner. Traversal operations like listing all files in a directory or navigating through nested directories are typically faster in a tree structure. On the other hand, a graph-based structure allows more complex relationships between directories and files, which can be useful for representing symbolic links, shared resources, or non-hierarchical relationships. However, for efficient directory traversal where hierarchy is crucial, a tree-based structure is usually preferred.