HFS
HFS, or Hierarchical File System, was the native file system for Apple Macintosh computers from 1985 until it was replaced by its successor, HFS+, in 1998. It organized files in a tree-like structure, allowing for a hierarchical system of folders and directories to manage data.
Key features and concepts
Hierarchical structure: Data was organized in a tree-like structure, with folders (directories) containing other folders and files.
Data and resource forks: HFS had a unique two-part structure for files. The "data fork" held the actual content, while the "resource fork" stored metadata like icons, menus, and other program elements.
Case-insensitive: The original HFS was case-insensitive, meaning "File.txt" and "file.txt" were treated as the same file.
Limitations: It had limitations in file size and volume capacity due to its 16-bit addressing of allocation blocks. A 2040 date limit was also present, which was resolved in later versions.
Successor (HFS+): HFS+ was introduced in 1998 with Mac OS 8.1 to address HFS's limitations, offering larger file and volume sizes, Unicode support, and journaling to improve data integrity.
Modern replacements: Both HFS and HFS+ have been largely replaced by the Apple File System (APFS) for modern macOS devices.
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