configplist

configplist refers to a configuration property list file, typically named config.plist, used to store configuration data for software on Apple platforms and in some cross‑platform contexts. A property list, or plist, is a serialized object graph in XML or binary form, consisting of hierarchical structures such as dictionaries and arrays. The top‑level object is commonly a dictionary.

In config.plist, values are stored as key‑value pairs, with keys as strings and values as strings, numbers, booleans, dates, data, arrays, or dictionaries. These files are consumed by applications at startup or runtime, providing parameters like server endpoints, feature flags, timeouts, or user interface settings. They are widely used for app configuration, build‑time settings, and installer configurations.

Reading and editing: plist files can be edited with Xcode, Property List Editor, or any text editor for XML plists; binary plists can be converted to XML with plutil. The plutil tool can validate, convert, and display plist contents.

Security and best practices: while plist files are convenient, they should not store secrets in plaintext. For sensitive data, use the keychain or secure storage. When distributing applications, consider separate configuration mechanisms for different environments (development, staging, production).

See also: property list, plutil, configuration profile, configuration management. History: plist originated with NeXTSTEP and became a core Apple data interchange format, now part of Core Foundation.