Active11 months ago
What's the best application to open and edit a plist file ?
Since Apple got rid of the GUI Property List Editor, Xcode is the best free option if you want to be sure of the result. There are some gotcha's using a generic code editor to edit plist files. Since dictionaries use entries like some key some value another key with boolean value. Apple Property List Editor software supports 1 file formats. Below is a table that contains detailed information about those file types. If you wish to obtain contact information for the developer of given software, click the button. Since Apple got rid of the GUI Property List Editor, Xcode is the best free option if you want to be sure of the result. There are some gotcha's using a generic code editor to edit plist files. Since dictionaries use entries like some key some value another key with boolean value.
Pierre WateletPierre Watelet2,9041010 gold badges4141 silver badges7474 bronze badges
6 Answers
Apple Property List Editor Download
A PList file, like Mankoff said, is just a specially formatted XML file, so you can actually edit and create them in a program like TextEdit.
Because of the specific nature of PLists to Development, however, using a special program like
Xcode
or Property List Editor
becomes a much more fruitful endeavor. This is because it not only automatically formats the XML code for you, but it will actually translate the key identifiers and layers into readable words, and also for some values it will provide a drop-down menu to fill in the correct responses. Especially when dealing with iPhone plists, when multiple runtime variables can be set using the Plist, easily creating new fields and knowing what to put in them makes it so much easier.You can get bot Xcode and PList Editor from the Apple Developer website http://developer.apple.com for free by downloading the latest Xcode release.
SeniorShizzleSeniorShizzle
If the plist file is in the XML format, you can edit it in any text editor like TextEdit. If the plist file is in the binary format, you can convert it to XML first by running:
If you want to go back to binary format after editing:
If you have Xcode 4.3 or later, you can use it to edit property lists in a graphical editor like this:
Xcode 4.2 and earlier came with a separate application for editing property lists (
/Developer/Applications/Utilities/Property List Editor.app/
). user588
A fine program like TextWrangler can edit binary
Daniel♦Daniel.plist
files without first converting them using Terminal. Simply open the file like you would any other (i.e. drag-and-drop on the program icon, or the File open dialog, or Open With in the Finder or...)27.5k2424 gold badges130130 silver badges179179 bronze badges
Since Apple got rid of the GUI Property List Editor, Xcode is the best free option if you want to be sure of the result.
There are some gotcha's using a generic code editor to edit plist files. Since dictionaries use entries like
You can create a valid XML file that is not a valid plist file, for example:
If you're willing to go commercial, Plistinator will edit both binary and XML plist files.
Full-disclosure: I'm the author of Plistinator and the $12.99 it costs pays for my ramen and rent.
user343989432.3k77 gold badges4949 silver badges7171 bronze badges
sezsez
On a Terminal window, you can use
PlistBuddy
, available at /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy
.PlistBuddy
can read and modify values inside of a plist, either interactively or directly on the command line.However,
lhflhfPlistBuddy
is not a GUI editor.4,16044 gold badges2525 silver badges3030 bronze badges
I have used PlistEdit Pro for macOS and found it to be useful and comprehensively feature rich.
Nimesh NeemaNimesh Neema25.8k99 gold badges6363 silver badges102102 bronze badges