PlistLib

PlistLib is a free AppleScript library of essential functions to manage preference list files from within AppleScript code.

Use System Events and some “defaults” shell script plist commands to manage plist’s from within AppleScript scripts and applications. Verify, create, modify, and delete plists and their key:value pairs easily with these ready-made routines.

Library Handlers

VerifyPlist ( _folder , _file ) – Return plist path. Plist file is created if it does not exist.
CreatePlist ( _folder , _file ) – Create empty plist file and return plist path.
ValidPlistPath ( _folder , _file ) – Return a validly formatted plist path as text.
ValidPlistDomain ( _path ) – Change a plist path to a plist domain – POSIX path of path and file without the “.plist” extension. For use in “defaults” shell script commands.
WritePlist ( _path , _thePlist ) – Write a key:value pair according to the value kind: boolean/data/date/list/number/record/string.
WritePlistValue ( _path , _key , _value ) – Overwrite the plist contents with the passed plist dictionary (AppleScript record). Uses “defaults” shell script command.
ReadPlistValue ( _path , _key ) – Return the value associated with the key.
ReadPlistName ( _path , _key ) – Return the name associated with the key.
ReadPlistText ( _path , _key ) – Return the text representation associated with the key.
ReadPlistKind ( _path , _key ) – Return the kind associated with the key.
ReadPlist ( _path ) – Return the entire plist (all of the “defaults” for the domain). Uses the “defaults” shell script command.
ModifyPlistValue ( _path , _key , _value ) – Modify the value of a plist key:value pair.
ModifyPlistSubValue ( _path , _key , _subKey , _value ) – Modify key:value (_subkey) of a plist key:value (_key).
RenamePlistKey ( _path , _oldKey , _newKey ) – Renames the old_key to the new_key via “defaults” shell script command.
DeletePlistKey ( _path , _Key ) – Removes the key:value pair associated with key from plist.
DeletePlistContents ( _path ) – Removes all defaults information for domain. Uses “default” shell script command.

Free AppleScript Library

PlistLib code: Copy the selected code (click on Select All to highlight all the code) to the clipboard and paste it into a newly created AppleScript document. Download code FREE as a text file from here.

style=”width:100%; height:180px; font-family:Arial,Helvetica; font-size:.90em; line-height:normal;”>–VERIFY PLIST 
on VerifyPlist(_folder, _file) 
	–Called to return the existing property list file else create it and return its path. 
	set _path to ValidPlistPath(_folder, _file) 
	tell application “Finder” 
		–if not (exists file (_file & “.plist”) of folder prefsFolder) then 
		if not (exists file (_path)) then 
			set _path to my CreatePlist(_folder, _file) –Create the missing plist automatically. 
		end if 
		return _path 
	end tell 
end VerifyPlist
–CREATE PLIST 
on CreatePlist(_folder, _file) 
	–Create, overwrite, empty _file at _folder. 
	set _path to ValidPlistPath(_folder, _file) 
	tell application “System Events” 
		— create an empty property list dictionary item 
		set the _dictionary to make new property list item with properties {kind:record} 
		— create new property list file using the empty dictionary list item as contents 
		set the _plistfilePath to _path –Text of the _path to give to System Events for creation. 
		set _plistfile to make new property list file with properties {contents:_dictionary, name:_plistfilePath} 
	end tell 
	return _plistfile –Return for use or not in subsequent plist calls. 
end CreatePlist
–VALID PLIST PATH 
on ValidPlistPath(_folder, _file) 
	–Create a validly formed plist path in text. 
	–Plist files will usually reside in preferences folder if no folder is sent. 
	set _folder to _folder as text 
	set _file to _file as text 
	set _path to _folder 
	if _path = “” then set _path to path of preferences 
	set _path to _path & _file 
	if (offset of “.plist” in _file) is not equal to ((length of _file) – 5) then set _path to _path & “.plist” 
	return _path as text 
end ValidPlistPath
–VALID DOMAIN 
on ValidPlistDomain(_path) 
	–Change a plist path to a plist domain – POSIX path of path and file without the .plist extension. 
	–For use in defaults do shell script. 
	set _path to _path as text 
	set _domain to _path 
	if ((length of _path) – (offset of “.plist” in _path)) = 5 then set _domain to text 1 thru ((length of _path) – 6) of _path 
	return (POSIX path of _domain) as text 
end ValidPlistDomain
–WRITE PLIST VALUE 
on WritePlistValue(_path, _key, _value) 
	–Write a key:value pair according to the value kind: boolean/data/date/list/number/record/string. 
	set _type to (class of _value) as text 
	try 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path –_path is converted to a : delimited path. 
			if _type = “boolean” then 
				if _value as boolean then 
					make new property list item at end of property list items of contents of _plistfile with properties {kind:boolean, name:_key, value:true} 
				else 
					make new property list item at end of property list items of contents of _plistfile with properties {kind:boolean, name:_key, value:false} 
				end if 
				(* 
			else if _type = “data” then –Need work here (now default to string type). 
				make new property list item at end of property list items of contents of _plistfile with properties {kind:string, name:_key, value:_value} 
				*) 
			else if _type = “date” then 
				make new property list item at end of property list items of contents of _plistfile with properties {kind:date, name:_key, value:_value} 
			else if _type = “list” then 
				make new property list item at end of property list items of contents of _plistfile with properties {kind:list, name:_key, value:_value} 
			else if _type = “integer” or _type = “real” then 
				make new property list item at end of property list items of contents of _plistfile with properties {kind:number, name:_key, value:_value} 
			else if _type = “record” then 
				make new property list item at end of property list items of contents of _plistfile with properties {kind:record, name:_key, value:_value} 
				(* 
			else if _type = “text” then –Default to text property. 
				make new property list item at end of property list items of contents of _plistfile with properties {kind:string, name:_key, value:_value} 
				*) 
			else –Default to text property. 
				make new property list item at end of property list items of contents of _plistfile with properties {kind:string, name:_key, value:_value} 
			end if 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “WritePlistValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end WritePlistValue
(* 
Still need to work on SE implementation of reading/writing the contents. 
–WRITE PLIST CONTENTS 
on WritePlistContents(_path, _value) 
	–Write the _value to the contents of _path. 
	try 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path 
			set value of contents of _plistfile to (_value as property list item) 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “ModifyPlistValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end WritePlistContents 
*) 
–WRITE PLIST 
on WritePlist(_path, _thePlist) 
	–Overwrite the contents with the passed plist dictionary (AS record). 
	–The passed parameter should be a AS record. Change thePlist to a UNIX acceptable dictionary. 
	—	plist must be a property list representation of a dictionary, and must be enclosed in single quotes. 
	set _domain to my ValidPlistDomain(_path) –Return POSIX path of _path. 
	try 
		do shell script (“defaults write ” & _domain & ” ” & quoted form of _thePlist) 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “WritePlist error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end WritePlist
(* 
–WRITE PLIST DATA VALUE 
on WritePlistDataValue(_path, _value) 
	–Use defaults to write data type value to _path. 
	–THIS NEEDS WORK. 
	set _domain to my ValidPlistDomain(_path) –Return POSIX path of _path. 
	try 
		do shell script (“defaults write ” & _domain & ” -data ” & quoted form of _thePlist) 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “WritePlistDataValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end WritePlistDataValue 
*)
–READ PLIST VALUE 
on ReadPlistValue(_path, _key) 
	–Return the value from the _path associated with the _key. 
	try 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path –_path is converted to a : delimited path. 
			return value of property list item _key of contents of _plistfile 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “ReadPlistValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end ReadPlistValue
–READ PLIST NAME 
on ReadPlistName(_path, _key) 
	–Return the name from the _path associated with the _key. 
	try 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path –_path is converted to a : delimited path. 
			return name of property list item _key of contents of _plistfile 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “ReadPlistValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end ReadPlistName
–READ PLIST TEXT 
on ReadPlistText(_path, _key) 
	–Return the text representation associated with the _key from the _path. 
	try 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path –_path is converted to a : delimited path. 
			return text of property list item _key of contents of _plistfile 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “ReadPlistValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end ReadPlistText
–READ PLIST KIND 
on ReadPlistKind(_path, _key) 
	–Return the kind associated with the _key from the _path. 
	try 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path –_path is converted to a : delimited path. 
			return kind of property list item _key of contents of _plistfile 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “ReadPlistValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end ReadPlistKind
(* 
Still need to work on SE implementation of reading/writing the contents. 
–READ PLIST CONTENTS 
on ReadPlistContents(_path) 
	–Return the contents from the _path. 
	try 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path –_path is converted to a : delimited path. 
			return value of contents of _plistfile as text 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “ReadPlistValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end ReadPlistContents 
*) 
–READ PLIST 
on ReadPlist(_path) 
	–Return the entire plist (all of the defaults for the domain). The contents of the _path. 
	set _domain to my ValidPlistDomain(_path) –Return POSIX path of _path. 
	try 
		set _thePlist to (do shell script (“defaults read ” & _domain)) 
	on error 
		–display dialog “ReadPlist error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		set _thePlist to “” as text 
	end try 
	return _thePlist 
end ReadPlist
–MODIFY PLIST VALUE 
on ModifyPlistValue(_path, _key, _value) 
	–Modify value of a stored key:value pair. 
	try 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path 
			set value of property list item _key of contents of _plistfile to _value 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “ModifyPlistValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end ModifyPlistValue
–MODIFY PLIST SUB-VALUE 
on ModifyPlistSubValue(_path, _key, _subkey, _value) 
	–Modify key:value (_subkey) of a stored key:value (_key). 
	try 
		–change the value of a property list item within another property list item. 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path –_path is converted to a : delimited path. 
			set value of property list item _subkey of property list item _key of contents of _plistfile to _value 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “ModifyPlistValue error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end ModifyPlistSubValue
–RENAME KEY 
on RenamePlistKey(_path, _oldkey, _newkey) 
	–Renames the old_key to the new_key via defaults. 
	set _domain to my ValidPlistDomain(_path) –Return POSIX path of _path. 
	try 
		do shell script (“defaults rename ” & _domain & ” ” & ((the quoted form of _oldkey) as text) & ” ” & ((the quoted form of _newkey) as text)) 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “RenamePlistKey defaults error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end RenamePlistKey
–DELETE PLIST KEY 
(* 
on DeletePlistKey(_path, _key) 
	–This is supposed to remove a property item, but it does not work. 
	–It is a known bug in AS System Events. 
	–Use defaults delete here until this is fixed. 
	try 
		tell application “System Events” 
			set _plistfile to property list file _path 
			delete property list item _key in contents of _plistfile 
		end tell 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “DeletePlistKey error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end DeletePlistKey 
*) 
on DeletePlistKey(_path, _key) 
	–Removes the passed key:value pair from _path. 
	set _domain to my ValidPlistDomain(_path) –Return POSIX path of _path. 
	try 
		do shell script (“defaults delete ” & _domain & ” ” & (the quoted form of _key)) 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “DeletePlistKey defaults error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end DeletePlistKey
–DELETE PLIST CONTENTS 
on DeletePlistContents(_path) 
	–Removes all default information for domain. 
	set _domain to my ValidPlistDomain(_path) –Return POSIX path of _path. 
	try 
		do shell script (“defaults delete ” & _domain) 
	on error –emess number errnum 
		–display dialog “DeletePlistContent defaults error: ” & errnum & ” ” & emess 
		return “” 
	end try 
end DeletePlistContents

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PlistLib – Preference File Library

PlistLib

Library Handlers

Free AppleScript Library

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