PlistEdit Pro

PlistEdit Pro is an advanced property list (.plist) and JSON editor designed specifically for macOS. It's developed by Fat Cat Software and serves as a powerful replacement for the basic plist editor embedded in Xcode.

Property list files (.plist files) are used extensively throughout macOS and iOS to store serialized objects, application settings, and configuration data, often in XML or binary formats. PlistEdit Pro makes editing these files easier and provides greater control over system and application settings.

Key Features and Uses

PlistEdit Pro offers a variety of features that make it a robust tool for developers and power users:

• Property List Editing: It allows users to view and edit .plist files in both an outline/tree view and as raw text (XML or JSON), supporting both Apple's plist format and the commonly used JSON format.

• Advanced Editing Tools: Includes a full-featured find and replace bar and support for sorting arrays and dictionaries.

• Preferences Browser: A specialized feature that allows users to easily browse, view, and edit the preference files used by macOS to store system and application settings.

• Structure Definitions: These definitions help by providing easy access to commonly used keys in various standard property list files, assisting with accurate editing.

• Automation: Supports AppleScript and includes a pledit command-line tool for automating tasks involving property lists.

• Data Formatters: Interprets raw plist values for display and editing, making it easier to work with different data types.

In essence, PlistEdit Pro is a valuable tool for Mac and iOS developers who frequently edit configuration files, and for power users who want finer control over their system's settings by directly manipulating preference files.