What does the command 'touch [file name]' accomplish?

The command 'touch [file name]' is primarily used to create a new file if it does not already exist. When this command is executed with a specified filename, it generates an empty file with that name in the current directory. If a file with the same name already exists, 'touch' updates the file's last modified timestamp to the current time without altering its content.

This functionality is useful for quickly making placeholder files or updating timestamps for existing files. The command does not create folders, copy files, or remove files, which aligns with the purpose and design of 'touch' in Unix-like operating systems.