MacOS Hidden Folders

I can’t locate this hidden folder or file in MacOS Finder!

If you’re programming on a Mac, you may find yourself editing files that are hidden in Finder. For example, I use dbt at work to manage data transformation jobs, and there is a configuration file that lives in a hidden file which I store at .dbt/profiles.yml. Ordinarily I just access it via the command line and edit it via a text editor there, but it is possible to make it appear in Finder, too.

Solution

To reveal hidden files in Finder, go to Go > Computer > Macintosh HD and press Shift + Command + . (period).

In the command line, use ls -a to “list all files,” even the ones that are hidden. The “a” coming after the ls command is called a flag; a full list of the flags for the ls command can be found here.