https://github.com/aurc/plist
The missing CLI plist converter
https://github.com/aurc/plist
Last synced: 3 months ago
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The missing CLI plist converter
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/aurc/plist
- Owner: aurc
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2021-12-01T21:45:25.000Z (over 4 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2021-12-06T00:07:36.000Z (over 4 years ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-04-04T10:45:01.711Z (3 months ago)
- Language: Go
- Size: 507 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# plist
[](https://godoc.org/github.com/aurc/plist)
[](https://codecov.io/gh/aurc/plist)
[](https://github.com/aurc/plist/blob/main/LICENSE)
Convert Apple's `plist` file format to `JSON` or `YAML` (natural & high fidelity modes) effortlessly.
Often complex bundles and other files are very hard to read or seamlessly
port to other applications.
**This Package Provides:**
- A **CLI** tool for reading and converting PLIST that can be fully intgrated
with `shell` scripting.
- A **golang module** that can be imported directly into golang projects with
an easy to use API.
- A **native bundle** *(coming soon)* that can be imported to any C-compatible
applications (e.g. Swift, C, C++, Python, etc).
## Installation
### Homebrew For the Inpatient
Consider using homebrew to install the utility from there:
````
brew install aurc/tap/plist
````
More information here: [plist homebrew tap](https://github.com/aurc/homebrew-tap)
### Golang
````bash
# As CLI Tool
go install github.com/aurc/plist@latest
# Then (assumung $GOPATH/bin set in the path)
plist --help
````
OR
````bash
# For working only with parser lib on your go code
go get github.com/aurc/plist/pkg/plistparser
# For entire package with CLI tool on your local (more below)
go get github.com/aurc/plist
````
## Basic Usage
### CLI Tool
To get started:
````
go install github.com/aurc/plist@latest
````
Assuming your `$GOPATH/bin` is in your path, then:
````
plist -h
````
Output:
````
This tool converts Apple's Property List (.plist) inputs into several useful
formats, such as JSON and YAML.
It supports both a file name as input and a piped ('|') input which might be useful
on more involved shell scripts.
For example:
plist json -i myfile.plist
cat myfile.plist | plist json
For individual commands instructions run:
plist [command] -h
plist json -h
Usage:
plist [command]
Available Commands:
completion generate the autocompletion script for the specified shell
help Help about any command
json Converts plist into JSON
yaml Converts plist into YAML
Flags:
-h, --help help for plist
-x, --high-fidelity Specifies whether the output should be a one-to-one translation of the plist.
Set to true, it's one-to-one. The default is false as it produces a more readable file.
-i, --input string Specifies a input file, e.g. --input myFile.plist
Use "plist [command] --help" for more information about a command.
````
Given the input
````xml
idle_wakeups103
idle_wakeups_per_s20.533
timer_wakeups
interval_ns2000000
wakeups270
wakeups_per_s53.8244
interval_ns1500000
wakeups170
wakeups_per_s22.44
````
#### Output as **JSON (Natural conversion)**
````
plist json -i docs/demo/demo.plist -p true
````
OR
````
cat docs/demo/demo.plist | plist json -p true
````
The natural conversion will hide the verbosity of datatypes, having types
to be easily inferred, for example a `1.1` becomes just `1.1`
without quotes whereas a `` will look more like a `JSON` objects, with
the `key` entries listed as fields.
````json
{
"idle_wakeups": 103,
"idle_wakeups_per_s": 20.533,
"timer_wakeups": [
{
"interval_ns": 2000000,
"wakeups": 270,
"wakeups_per_s": 53.8244
},
{
"interval_ns": 1500000,
"wakeups": 170,
"wakeups_per_s": 22.44
}
]
}
````
#### Output as **YAML (Natural conversion)**
````
plist yaml -i docs/demo/demo.plist
````
OR
````
cat docs/demo/demo.plist | plist yaml
````
Gives...
````yaml
idle_wakeups: 103
idle_wakeups_per_s: 20.533
timer_wakeups:
- interval_ns: 2000000
wakeups: 270
wakeups_per_s: 53.8244
- interval_ns: 1500000
wakeups: 170
wakeups_per_s: 22.44
````
#### Output as **JSON (High fidelity)**
````
plist json -i docs/demo/demo.plist -p true -x true
````
OR
````
cat docs/demo/demo.plist | plist json -p true -x true
````
Depending on your application, you might want a full, high fidelity
translation, defining each entry and explicitly exposing the data types. For
that, given the same input above, you'll have the following output:
````json
{
"type": "dict",
"value": [
{
"k": "idle_wakeups",
"v": {
"type": "integer",
"value": "103"
}
},
{
"k": "idle_wakeups_per_s",
"v": {
"type": "real",
"value": "20.533"
}
},
{
"k": "timer_wakeups",
"v": {
"type": "array",
"value": [
{
"type": "dict",
"value": [
{
"k": "interval_ns",
"v": {
"type": "integer",
"value": "2000000"
}
},
{
"k": "wakeups",
"v": {
"type": "integer",
"value": "270"
}
},
{
"k": "wakeups_per_s",
"v": {
"type": "real",
"value": "53.8244"
}
}
]
},
{
"type": "dict",
"value": [
{
"k": "interval_ns",
"v": {
"type": "integer",
"value": "1500000"
}
},
{
"k": "wakeups",
"v": {
"type": "integer",
"value": "170"
}
},
{
"k": "wakeups_per_s",
"v": {
"type": "real",
"value": "22.44"
}
}
]
}
]
}
}
]
}
````
Output as **YAML (High fidelity)**
````
plist yaml -i docs/demo/demo.plist -x true
````
OR
````
cat docs/demo/demo.plist | plist yaml -x true
````
````yaml
type: dict
value:
- k: idle_wakeups
v:
type: integer
value: "103"
- k: idle_wakeups_per_s
v:
type: real
value: "20.533"
- k: timer_wakeups
v:
type: array
value:
- type: dict
value:
- k: interval_ns
v:
type: integer
value: "2000000"
- k: wakeups
v:
type: integer
value: "270"
- k: wakeups_per_s
v:
type: real
value: "53.8244"
- type: dict
value:
- k: interval_ns
v:
type: integer
value: "1500000"
- k: wakeups
v:
type: integer
value: "170"
- k: wakeups_per_s
v:
type: real
value: "22.44"
````
## As a Package
````bash
$ go get github.com/aurc/plist/pkg/plistparser
````
````go
package main
import (
"fmt"
"github.com/aurc/plist/pkg/plistparser"
)
func main() {
plistFile := `
String
`
out, _ := plistparser.Convert([]byte(plistFile), &plistparser.Config{
Target: plistparser.Json,
HighFidelity: false,
Beatify: true,
})
fmt.Println(string(out))
}
````
## License
`plist` is released under the Apache 2.0 license. See [LICENSE](https://github.com/aurc/plist/blob/master/LICENSE)