File extension PLIST
| File type | Apple Property List XML Format |
| Developer | Apple |
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What is a PLIST file?
Files with the .PLIST extension contain a list of properties and settings for Mac OS applications, saved in the XML format – either in text, or in binary form. The format is based on Apple’s Core Foundation DTD.
Main PLIST files for a given apps are saved as Info.Plist in the Content catalog for .APP application packs. They can be viewed by choosing the “Show pack contents” option in the context menu of the APP file and opening the Content sub-catalog. PLIST files which are based on text can be edited using a simple text editor – this is, however, not advised, as they tend to have a very specific structure. The best program for creating and editing the files is the Apple Property List Editor, which is part of the Apple Developer Tools programmer suite. One can, however, also use an external program for editing PLIST files. PLIST files can be converted between binary and XML formats using the Plutil tool, specifically the -convert xml1- option for converting from binary to XML and the -convert binary1- option for converting from XML to binary.
Program(s) that can open the .PLIST file
How to open PLIST files
If you cannot open the PLIST file on your computer - there may be several reasons. The first and most important reason (the most common) is the lack of a suitable software that supports PLIST among those that are installed on your device.
A very simple way to solve this problem is to find and download the appropriate application. The first part of the task has already been done – the software supporting the PLIST file can be found in the table. Now just download and install the appropriate application.
Possible problems with the PLIST format files
The inability to open and operate the PLIST file does not necessarily mean that you do not have an appropriate software installed on your computer. There may be other problems that also block our ability to operate the Apple Property List XML Format file. Below is a list of possible problems.
- Corruption of a PLIST file which is being opened
- Incorrect links to the PLIST file in registry entries.
- Accidental deletion of the description of the PLIST from the Windows registry
- Incomplete installation of an application that supports the PLIST format
- The PLIST file which is being opened is infected with an undesirable malware.
- The computer does not have enough hardware resources to cope with the opening of the PLIST file.
- Drivers of equipment used by the computer to open a PLIST file are out of date.
If you are sure that all of these reasons do not exist in your case (or have already been eliminated), the PLIST file should operate with your programs without any problem. If the problem with the PLIST file has not been solved, it may be due to the fact that in this case there is also another rare problem with the PLIST file. In this case, the only you can do is to ask for assistance of a professional staff.
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How to associate the file with an installed software?
If you want to associate a file with a new program (e.g. my-file.PLIST) you have two ways to do it. The first and the easiest one is to right-click on the selected PLIST file. From the drop-down menu select "Choose default program", then click "Browse" and find the desired program. The whole operation must be confirmed by clicking OK. The second and more difficult to do is associate the PLIST file extension to the corresponding software in the Windows Registry.
Is there one way to open unknown files?
Many files contain only simple text data. It is possible that while opening unknown files (e.g. PLIST) with a simple text editor like Windows Notepad will allow us to see some of the data encoded in the file. This method allows you to preview the contents of many files, but probably not in such a structure as a program dedicated to support them.