resource fork

1 definition found

resource fork - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  Macintosh file system
  data fork
  desktop database
  resource fork
  
     <file system> A file on the Macintosh consists of two parts,
     called forks.  The "data fork" contains the data which would
     normally be stored in the file on other operating systems.
     The "resource fork" contains a collection of arbitrary
     attribute/value pairs, including program segments, icon
     bitmaps, and parametric values.  Yet more information
     regarding Macintosh files is stored by the Finder in a
     hidden file, called the "Desktop Database".
  
     Because of the complications in storing different parts of a
     Macintosh file in non-Macintosh file systems that only handle
     consecutive data in one part, it is common to only send the
     Data fork or to convert the Macintosh file into some other
     format before transferring it.
  
     (1996-03-03)