What does a question mark after the file name mean using ls terminal command?

Question

What does a question mark after the file name mean using ls terminal command? I am using a Mac running OS X Yosemite (v.10.10.5)

When I do ls command at terminal, I get back a list of files (the same files I see when using finder) plus one additional file (named Icons?).

This file does not appear in Finder.

I removed it the normal way: rm Icon?

But what happened? How did the file get there? And why the ? file extension?

Possible duplicate of Icon? file on OS X desktop
– kenorb
May 3, 2016 at 16:36 — kenorb, May 3, 2016 at 16:36

Julie Pelletier · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-03 16:34:51Z

0

? is a single character wild card, so Icon? will match any filename that starts with Icon and contains only one more character such as Icon2.

answered May 3, 2016 at 16:34

Julie Pelletier

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2

True. But not the correct explanation in this case. See the duplicate answer.
– DavidPostill ♦
May 3, 2016 at 16:41

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