Patterns macOS: What Are They and Why Use Them?

Okay, so I’ve been messing around with my Mac lately, trying to figure out some stuff with files and patterns. It’s been a bit of a headache, but I think I’ve finally cracked it, and I want to share what I’ve learned.

First off, I was trying to find files on my Mac using specific names, like, I wanted to grab all files named ‘pattern1’ or ‘pattern2’. Initially, I used the ‘find’ command, but it wasn’t working as I expected. It seemed like it was only picking up the files matching the last pattern I mentioned. So, files with ‘pattern1’ were being ignored, which was a bummer. I really needed all files matching either pattern.

• Using the ‘find’ command:

So, I dug around a bit and found out that I could use a different approach. I learned about this thing called ‘dot_clean’. This tool was actually pretty neat because I could use it to deal with those annoying ‘._’ files that sometimes show up when you’re moving stuff between different systems, like from Mac to Linux or something. But that’s a story for another day.

Anyway, back to finding files. It turns out there’s a way to search for files ending with a specific pattern. For example, I had a huge folder full of images and I only wanted the ones ending with something like ‘*’ or ‘*’. After some more digging, I found out I could tweak the ‘find’ command to do exactly that. I was so relieved!

• Searching with specific patterns:

Then there was this other thing I stumbled upon – a page with old Mac OS 7 Desktop Patterns. It was a blast from the past! I downloaded them just for fun. It reminded me of when I was a kid, playing around with those old Macs.

Oh, and I also found this app called “Patterns”. It’s basically a test pattern generator for videos on macOS. It looked pretty cool, and it’s backed by Metal, which is some techy stuff that makes graphics run smoother. I haven’t used it yet, but I bookmarked it for later.

So, after all this messing around, I finally figured out how to find files using different patterns on my Mac. It was a bit of a journey, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Now I can organize my files way easier, and I even found some cool old-school patterns along the way. Hope this helps someone else out there who’s pulling their hair out over file searching on a Mac!

And by the way, I also learned that any standard programming solution to a certain problem can be considered a “design pattern.” It doesn’t really matter how popular they are.

This whole experience has made me realize how much I enjoy tinkering with my computer and figuring stuff out. I used to think I wasn’t tech-savvy enough, but now I see that with a little patience and persistence, anyone can learn this stuff.