Property List files, or .plist files, are a crucial component in the macOS and iOS ecosystems. They are used to store serialized objects, such as configuration settings and data, in a structured format. These files can be found in various locations across the system and are used by applications and system components to store preferences and configuration information.

Understanding .plist Files

.plist files can be formatted in XML or binary format. The XML format is human-readable, making it easier to edit manually, while the binary format is more compact and efficient for the system to process.

Creating a .plist File

To create a .plist file, you can use a text editor for XML format or the plutil command-line tool for binary format. Here’s how you can create a simple .plist file in XML format using the Terminal:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Use a text editor like nano or vi to create a new file:

   nano example.plist

3. Add the following XML content to define a simple dictionary with a key-value pair:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
   <plist version="1.0">
   <dict>
      <key>ExampleKey</key>
      <string>ExampleValue</string>
   </dict>
   </plist>

4. Save the file and exit the editor (in nano, press CTRL + X, then Y, and Enter).

Converting XML .plist to Binary

To convert an XML .plist file to binary format, use the plutil command:

plutil -convert binary1 example.plist

Reading and Editing .plist Files

To read and edit .plist files, you can use the defaults command for simple operations or plutil for more complex tasks.

• Reading a .plist file:

  defaults read /path/to/example.plist

• Writing to a .plist file:

  defaults write /path/to/example.plist ExampleKey "NewValue"

• Converting binary .plist to XML for manual editing:

  plutil -convert xml1 example.plist

Using Xcode for .plist Management

For developers, Xcode provides a graphical interface to create and manage .plist files. Simply open your project, navigate to the .plist file, and edit it using the built-in editor.

Examples:

• Creating a new .plist file in XML format:

  nano newfile.plist

  Add XML content and save.

• Converting between formats:

  plutil -convert binary1 newfile.plist
  plutil -convert xml1 newfile.plist

• Reading and writing values:

  defaults read /path/to/newfile.plist
  defaults write /path/to/newfile.plist NewKey "NewValue"