What is a Hidden File?
A hidden file is a file or folder that isn't listed by a file manager by default even though it exists. In other words, a hidden file is just a normal file inside a folder like any other, but when you browse that folder's files in a file manager, the file doesn't appear on the list of files of the folder unless you change a setting. If you change a setting on the file manager, hidden files are displayed just like any other file.
On Windows, hidden files are created by setting a property in their properties dialog. On Linux, there is no such property to make a file a hidden file. Instead, applications that support hiding hidden files treat dotfiles as if they were hidden. For example, on Linux Mint, Nemo doesn't show dotfiles by default, and the terminal command ls doesn't list dotfiles unless you use it with the flag -a (or --all).
