plistlib

Node.js plist parser and writer. By Dallin Lauritzen.

Install

Install using NPM

npm install plistlib

Parsed Objects

The object structure returned from the load methods and expected as the parameter for save and toString is a tree structure made of "type"/"value" dictionary pairs.

All the supported plist value types are detailed below.

String

<string>Hello</string>

becomes

{ type: 'string', value: 'Hello' }

Integer

<integer>123</integer>

becomes

{ type: 'integer', value: 123 }

Array

<array>
    <string>Cat</string>
</array>

becomes

{
    type: 'array',
    value: [
        { type: 'string', value: 'Cat' }
    ]
}

Dict

<dict>
    <key>A</key>
    <string>B</string>
</dict>

becomes

{
    type: 'dict',
    value: {
        A: { type: 'string', value: 'B' }
    }
}

Nesting

Types can nest, so here's a fancier example.

<dict>
    <key>Array Of Dicts</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>A</key>
            <string>B</string>
            <key>C</key>
            <integer>4</integer>
        </dict>
    </array>
</dict>

becomes

{
    type: 'dict',
    value: {
        "Array Of Dicts": {
            type: 'array',
            value: [
                {
                    type: 'dict',
                    value: {
                        A: { type: 'string', value: 'B' },
                        C: { type: 'integer', value: 4 }
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    }
}

Data

Plistlib supports base64-encoded data within data tags. The data will be parsed as a Buffer. When saving, the buffer will be re-encoded into base64 with a line-length of 60 characters and indented to be level with it's tags.

<array>
    <data>
    R0lGODlhDwAPAPcAAAAAAP6dAP6eAP6hAP6hAf6iAf6jAf6iAv6jAv6kAf6n
    Af6mAv6rA/+qA/+rAv+uA/+tBP+uBP6xBP+xBP+zBP+zBf60BP63Bf+3Bf67
    Bv68Bv69Bv69B/+8Bv7ECP/ECP/FCP7ICf7JCf/ICf7LCf/KCP/KCf7MCf/M
    Cf7RCv7SCv7SC//SCv/SC/7YC/7ZDP/YDP/ZDP7bDf/bDP7dDf/dDP/dDf/l
    Dv/mDv/mD//pD//wEP/wEf/1Ef/1Ev///wAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAP8ALAAAAAAPAA8AAAitAP8JFAigYMGB
    CP8VJCHiw4YKBxECUBFjxosVIzZMWABgIAAWNnTowFGjBYgLDAh0VOhCB48e
    O3DAMJEBAoKOAFDI0FHQh44ZBSMgCFDQxIscBXngcBH0AFEAIFLQuDGShooP
    GBwQeNohBIsYMmCwyIhhgYCnFjR4AHCixAcOFABsJapQwoUOBgsaCEBXoYIG
    DwI/IDC3r0ICBRIYGHCW70qPAPhKjphQYd6EAQEAOw==
    </data>
</array>

becomes

{
    type: 'array',
    value: [
        { type: 'data', value: <Buffer 47 49 46 38 39 61 0f 00 0f 00 ...> }
    ]
}

API

var plistlib = require('plistlib');
 
// Load or save a file
plistlib.load('in.plist', function(err, plist) {
    // plist is a JavaScript object.
 
    plistlib.save('out.plist', plist, function(err) {
        // The plist is now saved to out.plist
    });
});
 
// You can also parse in-memory buffers and strings
plistlib.loadString(s, function(err, plist) { /* ... */ });
plistlib.loadBuffer(b, function(err, plist) { /* ... */ });
 
// Output to a string instead of a file. This method is synchronous
var content = plistlib.toString(plist);