Unlike file data, metadata has varying persistence. Some is ephemeral, others sticky. macOS has inbuilt mechanisms for managing the persistence of extended attributes.
copy
How these fundamental features work in macOS, using the pboard daemon and UTIs. With full log transcripts too.
What happens when you copy a large file to the same volume, or duplicate it, on the same APFS volume? Here are the answers.
All about textClipping and pictClipping files: what they are, and how to access the data within them.
Diagram summarising how Finder Aliases work, including their resolution. And how to confuse QuickLook thumbnails.
Finder Aliases can update their path information when they are resolved. Also some differences between Aliases and Bookmarks.
Details of some of the information stored inside Bookmarks and Finder aliases, and a new version of Precize to show you that info.
How to make different types of copy/clone/link/alias in the Finder and command line, their properties and uses, summarised in two table.
If you thought the first article was lightweight fun, here’s more about links/aliases to folders, behaviour in apps, iCloud, and Bookmarks.
Mojave has 5 different types of copy/clone/alias/link, some of which can appear to behave oddly. Here they are, fully explained.
