Diagram summarising how Finder Aliases work, including their resolution. And how to confuse QuickLook thumbnails.
links
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.
A defining difference between macOS and iOS, the command line depends on constancy of file names, and consistency of paths. iCloud breaks both, as well as Finder aliases.
Creating and resolving Finder aliases is straightforward in Swift: here’s how alisma does it.
Create a Finder alias from the command line, and resolve them to full paths – a new free command tool, with source.
Time Machine backups look like ordinary files and folders, but you have to be careful what you do to them. Here’s how you can go inside them in safety, and what you can do.
