Disappearing SimpleText files in OS X -- help needed

[salinae]

My first posting, and it's because I need your help.

OS 10.3 is not seeing my OS 9.2 SimpleText files. I've even burned them onto a CD on an iMac, copied them to my G4 and, guess what, the folder is empty (but back-checking the CD on the iMac shows they're there).

What's going on? How can I get OS 10.3 to see these SimpleText files?

Hope someone can help me out. Many thanks.

john

[yellow]

Do they show up in the Terminal on your 10.3.x box?

[salinae]

Yes, they're visible in Terminal.

[salinae]

Now I have emailed the SimpleText docs to myself (mailing from OS 9.2).

They arrive OK as an attachment and download to a Desktop folder (in OS 10.3).

Click the folder . . . and it's empty.

Do a Find, and the docs are located in the "empty" folder.

Drag copy the attachment to that folder, and a message comes up: "The item 'name.sit' cannot be replaced because it is invisible."

So, they're here on my HD, in the folder where I want them, but they're invisible. Why? How can I make them visible in 10.3?

(They're visible in 9.2, but only if I restart in 9.2 -- they remain invisible if I run Classic from 10.3.)

Baffled. Any one any ideas? Many thanks.

[salinae]

Problem solved.

In OS 9 (and earlier OS's) I was in the habit of naming some folders with a dot (.), just to shuffle them to the top of the pile. Had done it for years, no probs. Now i find that in OS X you cannot do this, as files that begin with a dot are reserved for the System only (they're the invisibles). Simply by removing the dot in OS 9 has made the folder and its contents visible to OS X.

A simple fix. A lesson learned. A habit to get out of.

I'll probably use numbers (01, 02, etc) to order the folders in the non-alphabetical hierarchy I want (unless anyone says 'no', or can suggest an better way ...)

[yellow]

LOL, I as just about to ask that when you solved it yourself. UNIX has always used .foo as hidden files. Glad you found it and it was an easy solution!