detecting -addition, deletion or change to files

[jeff]

Hiya

I just woundering how would I go about detecting addition, deletion or
change to files in a folder?

Ideally id like to look at a linux directory and say watch all its
contents and then have my script flag up a message when one of these
events occurs

not only would it want to watch the directory, but also the
subdirectorys off of it

cheers

greg