plistsupported

Plistsupported refers to a capability in Apple's property list (plist) system, specifically a key used in an application's Info.plist to declare which platforms the bundle is intended to support. The Info.plist file stores metadata about a macOS, iOS, watchOS, or tvOS app, and plistsupported is commonly implemented via the CFBundleSupportedPlatforms key.

Background: A plist is a structured configuration file used across Apple platforms. Info.plist contains various keys describing bundle identifiers, version numbers, capabilities, and compatibility details. The CFBundleSupportedPlatforms entry communicates the target environments for the bundle to the operating system and distribution tools.

Details: The CFBundleSupportedPlatforms value is an array of strings, each representing a platform identifier. Typical values include MacOSX for macOS and iPhoneOS for iOS. It is possible to list multiple platforms to indicate cross-platform support. If this key is omitted, the system may assume the bundle is intended for the primary platform of the build, though explicit declaration is recommended for clarity and compatibility checks.

Impact: The presence and content of CFBundleSupportedPlatforms can influence app validation, compatibility checks, and installation decisions on some devices and stores. It helps ensure that a bundle is presented or installed only on compatible environments. For developers, correct configuration aids deployment workflows and platform-specific testing.

Editing and examples: The key is edited within the Info.plist file, using a plist editor in Xcode or any text editor for the XML or binary plist format. Example representation:

CFBundleSupportedPlatforms = (

MacOSX

iPhoneOS

);

See also: Property list, Info.plist, CFBundleIdentifier, CFBundleName, platform identifiers.