A datafork refers to a component of a computer file system that stores the actual contents or data of a file. It is a term primarily associated with systems that use the Macintosh operating system, such as the earlier versions of the MacOS. In these systems, a file is composed of two parts - the datafork and the resource fork.
The datafork is the section of the file that contains the actual information or data that is stored within it. This can include text, images, audio, video, or any other form of digital content. It is responsible for storing the content that users create or modify. The datafork is typically what users interact with when opening, editing, or manipulating files.
In contrast, the resource fork contains additional information about the file, such as icons, metadata, formatting information, or any other relevant attributes. This fork helps the operating system and applications to properly handle and interpret the data contained in the file.
With the evolution of operating systems and file systems, the concept of separate dataforks and resource forks has been largely replaced by more unified file structures. However, the term datafork is still used in historical contexts, particularly when analyzing or understanding older Macintosh systems or file formats.
