Shortcut vs. Alias
In Windows you can create a shortcut which points to a file, folder, or application and place that on your desktop or anywhere to make access to the original more convenient. On the Mac the same functionality is found in aliases.
To create an alias in the Finder, select any file, folder, or application and then either
- type Command-L
- from the command menu select File -> Make Alias
- from the right-button context menu select Make Alias
Then drag the new object from the current directory to where you want it. Where Windows calls the new object “shortcut to originalname” on the Mac it will be called “originalname alias” and its icon will also have a little arrow/pointer just like in Windows. You can also change the name as in Windows and it will still point to the same original file.
To save a step you can hold down the Command and Option keys while you drag the original icon and it will create an alias where you drop it.
For those familiar with Unix, an alias isn’t the same as a symbolic link. It keeps track of both the pathname and a file system identifier so if the original file is moved it will still point to it. With a symbolic link only the pathname is maintained so if an original file is moved the symbolic link will be broken. While you can programmatically create aliases I don’t see a way to create them from a shell.