PLTools is a software that assists in cleaning up preferences files using Perl scripting. It features a set of Perl scripts that can help you easily manage, format and clean up preference files, saving time and streamlining workflows.
I came across three simple Perl scripts that have been incredibly helpful while administering Mac OS X machines. As someone who spends ample time exploring preference files, Mac OS X 10.4's tendency toward binary .plist files made this process cumbersome. The seemingly available cure to this problem would be to use a GUI tool like Apple's Property List Editor application. However, managing .plist files with a GUI tool is not my preferred approach, especially when I don't know what to do until performing a grep or two.
This is where these scripts come in handy. They work perfectly on almost all versions of Mac OS X but are ideal for Mac OS X 10.4 and higher versions. I created them to eliminate performing Apple's plutil command repeatedly. All three scripts run plutil in various forms to finish the job effortlessly. Using these scripts is not a complex task but rather visible to anyone familiar with the UNIX command line.
In case you're not a fan of using vim to edit files, you can change line 58 of /usr/bin/pledit to try your preferred editor. You can access the three scripts in /usr/bin post-installation, which requires administrative access. They come with the permissions of 755 (rwxr-xr-x), and you can remove them by deleting the three files. Additionally, you may decide to exclude the "PLTools.pkg" file in your /Library/Receipts directory.
Note that these scripts are command-line tools. If you are not comfortable using the Mac OS X command line, then you don't need these tools. The PLTools software provides three key features, which are:
1. plcat: It is a simple method of displaying an ASCII representation of a binary .plist file. It converts a binary .plist file to ASCII and showcases it right on your screen (/dev/stdout).
2. plmore: This feature allows you to view an ASCII representation of a binary .plist file one screen at a time. It is quite similar to plcat, but it is piped to more.
3. pledit: With this feature, you can edit binary .plist files in your preferred editor, which is naturally vim. The script keeps a backup trail of each edit and temporarily converts the file to ASCII, making editing easier. Once you complete the edits, the file gets converted back to its original binary format. Furthermore, it keeps a complete backup trail (filename.plist.OLD, filename.plist.OLD.1, etc.) for your convenience.
This is where these scripts come in handy. They work perfectly on almost all versions of Mac OS X but are ideal for Mac OS X 10.4 and higher versions. I created them to eliminate performing Apple's plutil command repeatedly. All three scripts run plutil in various forms to finish the job effortlessly. Using these scripts is not a complex task but rather visible to anyone familiar with the UNIX command line.
In case you're not a fan of using vim to edit files, you can change line 58 of /usr/bin/pledit to try your preferred editor. You can access the three scripts in /usr/bin post-installation, which requires administrative access. They come with the permissions of 755 (rwxr-xr-x), and you can remove them by deleting the three files. Additionally, you may decide to exclude the "PLTools.pkg" file in your /Library/Receipts directory.
Note that these scripts are command-line tools. If you are not comfortable using the Mac OS X command line, then you don't need these tools. The PLTools software provides three key features, which are:
1. plcat: It is a simple method of displaying an ASCII representation of a binary .plist file. It converts a binary .plist file to ASCII and showcases it right on your screen (/dev/stdout).
2. plmore: This feature allows you to view an ASCII representation of a binary .plist file one screen at a time. It is quite similar to plcat, but it is piped to more.
3. pledit: With this feature, you can edit binary .plist files in your preferred editor, which is naturally vim. The script keeps a backup trail of each edit and temporarily converts the file to ASCII, making editing easier. Once you complete the edits, the file gets converted back to its original binary format. Furthermore, it keeps a complete backup trail (filename.plist.OLD, filename.plist.OLD.1, etc.) for your convenience.
What's New
Version 1.0: N/A