dotfile

In computing, a hidden file or hidden directory is a file system object that is excluded from a directory content report unless explicitly requested. The value of hiding files is generally to avoid showing the user files that are not likely to be of interest to them. The feature is not a security mechanism because access is not restricted; the user can request that normally-hidden files be displayed. Hiding is a feature of the programs that display file system objects, not a feature of file systems or of the operating system as a whole. Read more on Wikipedia