Where to look for file metadata in the Finder, and how you can customise it, in spite of its apparent confusion. And how APFS takes care of extended attributes for you.
metadata
Finder Comments are accessible, easy to use, and unreliable because they rely primarily on data stored in a hidden file. Regular Comment extended attributes are more reliable.
Turning the data blocks into files and directories, these have common functions and additional features which can give rise to tricky problems.
Useful metadata shown in two places, and available as columns in List views. But some things don’t match up, and information changes in front of your eyes.
So convenient to use – edit them in the Comments: section of Finder’s Get Info dialog. But as reliable as loose scraps of paper, and as easily lost.
Unlike file data, metadata has varying persistence. Some is ephemeral, others sticky. macOS has inbuilt mechanisms for managing the persistence of extended attributes.
All about xattrs: their origin, where they’re stored, how they’re named and typed, how to find and work with them, and their common problems.
Tools for editing metadata which is generally well-preserved, including copyright and keywords. Now native on all Macs.
Lightweight metadata editor now runs native on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
Supporting 16 different types of metadata, from Authors to Version, you don’t need to know how they are stored, etc.
The Eclectic Light Company 