.plist File — Apple Property List

PLIST (Property List) files are structured data files used throughout the Apple ecosystem for storing serialized objects — dictionaries, arrays, strings, numbers, dates, booleans, and binary data. PLISTs come in three formats: XML (human-readable, most common for hand-edited files), binary (compact and fast, default for system-generated files), and the legacy OpenStep text format. macOS and iOS use PLISTs extensively for application preferences (~/Library/Preferences/), system configuration, launch agents/daemons (launchd), Info.plist (application metadata and bundle configuration), entitlements, and provisioning profiles. Every macOS and iOS application includes an Info.plist describing the app's bundle identifier, version, supported orientations, URL schemes, permissions, and capabilities. The defaults command-line tool reads and writes plist preferences, while plutil converts between formats and validates structure. Xcode's property list editor provides a visual interface for editing PLISTs. The format's integration with Apple's Foundation framework (NSDictionary, NSArray) makes serialization trivial in Swift and Objective-C. PLISTs are also used in iTunes/Music libraries, Safari bookmarks, and numerous system databases across Apple platforms.