I love(d) resource forks. Before there were signed applications, it made it easy to modify applications without the source code. I even had a plug-in that disassembled the binary executable blobs, and had fun modifying one of the original text editor desk accessories to allow windows larger than 512 x 342. (Those were the days...)
The resource fork concept was always something that confused me about old mac. Anyone have a recommended blog/guide to learn more about how that works?
But the short version is that the Resource Manager provided a standardized way for applications to store a bunch of record-based data in a file - either as part of the application itself, or in files it created - and load those records on demand. The system used resources heavily to represent assets like code fragments, icons, dialog box layouts, or sounds, which could all be loaded on demand or automatically purged from memory when not in use.
https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/ma...
But the short version is that the Resource Manager provided a standardized way for applications to store a bunch of record-based data in a file - either as part of the application itself, or in files it created - and load those records on demand. The system used resources heavily to represent assets like code fragments, icons, dialog box layouts, or sounds, which could all be loaded on demand or automatically purged from memory when not in use.