They’re Base-64 encoded data which is related to the Finder Alias. Here’s how to resolve them in an app, at the command line, and in code.
APFS
Is it better to make sparse bundles ‘snug’, sizing them so that they don’t have as much free space? What if you then need to resize them?
They readily grow in size up to their maximum. But getting them to shrink when contents are reduced isn’t as easy.
Can you use error-correcting code to repair very large files, for example of around 20 GB or more?
Selecting a RAID level to preserve file integrity can be confusing. Here’s a guide, complete with the ifs and buts.
An efficient means of storage with many uses, but riddled with bugs and shortcomings. Explains how to compact and resize them, and more.
For all their compactness and ease of access, are our files going to prove less durable than a clay tablet recording a commercial transaction over 4,000 years ago?
Simply having ECC enabled doesn’t mean that damaged files can be recovered. It appears promising, but needs careful real-world evaluation.
We assume what we know to be impossible, and pretend that just making ‘safe’ copies of important documents will preserve them for the future.
Apps don’t work like the Finder. Most use ‘safe saves’ designed to prevent a failed save losing the original document. Here’s how they work.
