Why do so many games use the documents folder for save files?
In: Technology
Well, if we think of the most basic data type distinction as being between “applications” and “documents”, save files should clearly be put in the latter category:
* Backups: applications are created by the developer and if your application becomes corrupt then you can install a new copy; documents are created by the user and so need to be backed up regularly.
* Memory: it would be a waste of space to install a separate copy of an application for each of the computer’s users, but each user *will* want their own documents.
* Security: it’s normal for applications to modify documents, but if applications are allowed to modify other applications then that’s a security hazard that could allow viruses to spread.
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