Resource Forks

Explanation

A file's resource fork contains various bits of information about a file, including creation and modification date, and what application should be used to open the file.

Unlike Windows, which uses file extensions to identify file types and default programs for accessing each file type, the classic Mac OS relies on individual resource forks for this information.

You can use ResEdit or FileTyper to create and edit resource forks. FileTyper is mostly for working with Type and Creator codes. ResEdit can modify any part of a file's resource fork.

File Type and Creator Codes

Known file types are listed below. Please add to this list!

Note: Type and Creator codes are case-sensitive!

Archive and Encoding

File Type Creator Application Notes
BIN BINA SITx StuffIt
HQX TEXT SITx StuffIt
SIT SIT5 SIT! StuffIt
ZIP ZIP SIT! StuffIt or MacZip

Disk Images

File Type Creator Application Notes
SMI APPL oneb OS Native
IMG dImg dCpy Disk Copy 4
IMG dImg ddsk Disk Copy 6
DSK dimg ddsk Disk Copy

Documents

File Type Creator Application Notes
Read Me ttro ttxt SimpleText
TXT TEXT ttxt SimpleText
PDF PDF CARO Adobe Acrobat
Document CWWP BOBO AppleWorks 5
wiki/software/resforks.txt · Last modified: 2023/10/10 17:43
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