was does this mask mean anyways, and why does is cause to 'open" this file instead of listing all all them ?
your "why" is the answer to your "what does".
why? it's exactly what it does, some people need it, some doesn't
It is just what I've need for so long, BUT when someone happens to click this link on my VFS root, it freezes my HFS for many hours.
i think the same happens when you click "file list". isn't true?
the problem is file listing, and the archive needs the file list to work.
And maybe something should be improved in the way HFS handles resources starting with "\\" as it currently freezes the program slightly also in normal browsing ...some kind of simplified way (not trying to find out file sizes and attributes) of accessing them perhaps?
there is no simplified way i'm aware of.