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From: dlyons@Apple.COM (David A. Lyons)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Finder Data File Format
Message-ID: <38342@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 5 Feb 90 10:17:34 GMT
References: <9001260129.AA04439@apple.com>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 34

In article <9001260129.AA04439@apple.com> JWANKERL@UTCVM.BITNET ("Josef W. Wankerl") writes:
>I'm interested in the format of the Finder's invisible data files.
>Is this information published somewhere?  In some technical note I
>don't have?  If not, is there any way I can find out this information?
>
>/**********************************************************************\
>|*      Joe "Gonzo" Wankerl       |*|  The views expressed here are   *|
>|* BITNET =>  JWANKERL@UTCVM      |*|  not necessarily yours...       *|
>|*                                |*|         ...but they should be.  *|
>\**********************************************************************/

This question has come up before (elsewhere), and the answer was that
the format of the Finder.Data (and Finder.Def and Finder.Root) files
is not documented (and possibly subject to change or extension in ways
that have yet to be invented), so you should avoid fiddling with it.

On the other hand, most of the info in there is pretty easy to figure
out, and if you use it very carefully you are probably not increasing
your changes of suffering eternal damnation.

(Writing a program that modifies the files is not a very good idea,
though.)  For example, Finder.Data contains info like the rectangle
for the folder's window, and the names and locations of all the icons
in there; and Finder.Def contains a desktop pattern (a bunch of $DDs by
default).
-- 

 --David A. Lyons, Apple Computer, Inc.      |   DAL Systems
   Apple II Developer Technical Support      |   P.O. Box 875
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   My opinions are my own, not Apple's.