I messed up and lost one of my extensions that was being used by (1) a large I7 story, and (2) targeted for IFCOMP 24. My backup system can’t find it. My FIND command on my MacOS can’t find it. I am guessing that the installed extensions are stored in some place such that I cannot recover it by typical means. I hope that these hidden files are recoverable through something in Inform. Can anyone help?
What do you mean “lost”?
If the Inform IDE can find the extension, the menu option “Show Install Extension Folder” should open the folder in the Mac Finder. This is Library/Inform/Extensions in your home directory.
If the Inform IDE can’t find it, it probably doesn’t exist at all. Maybe it got moved to the Trash somehow?
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It might be inside Project.materials/Extensions, too; I don’t use Macs, but I can imagine some search commands might not find something inside a folder being used as a package like this?
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The .materials folder is not a package; it’s searchable. The ~/Library folder is not searchable (which is why the Inform IDE has menu options to open it).
To be precise, the ~/Library folder is not searchable from outside. Once you’re inside it, you can search subfolders normally.
Checked the trash. Nope. Mysteriously, my Mac finder cannot find Library/Inform/Extensions, but if I use Inform IDE to open installed extensions folder, I see the file. That is why I thought it was kept out of view of the MacOS.
My greater concern is that my backup system, on which I rely, cannot recover it. I have been backing that file up daily at least for six months.
Sounds like a call to Apple is needed. 
By “see the file,” do you mean that you can see the filename, or that you can actually open the file from the IDE?
When you were looking for the extension, did you enable “show hidden folders” by pressing “Command + Shift + . (period)”?
It should be located in: ~/Library/Inform/Extensions
If you can open the extension from the IDE, it’s in there. However, I don’t know how your backup system works as far as what files it backs up, so that might not help your situation.
The easiest way to get to the Library folder is via the Go menu – it’ll be added to the menu if you hold down the Option key.
You can also permanently show it by opening your home folder and going to view options (View menu or Command+J). Near the bottom you will see an option to show the library folder. It only appears in the view options for the home folder, not in any other folder.
Disclaimer: My computer’s rather out-of-date so there is some chance that these things have changed in the latest version.
There was a slight problem with the back up system. Apple support was surprised/stymied for a minute. That has been “repaired” and I restored the older (correct) version of the file and all is working again.
Thanks to all for the kind considerations and help.
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