PropEdit

PropEditPropEdit is a viewer and editor for Apple property list files (“plist”) and strict JSON files (JavaScript Object Notation). It is aimed to both software developers and end-users who want easy access to these standard file types.

PropEdit
  • You can change any entry in the files. Property names, entry types and values can be edited freely. Entries can be removed, added, or sorted. The program handles nested entries of any depths correctly.
  • The application has full undo and redo capabilities with an unlimited number of steps.
  • PropEdit fully supports the “Versions” feature of the operating system. If you modify settings with PropEdit, you will be able to restore them to previous states.
  • It is possible to search for any entry in a property list file, either by value or property key of the entry.
  • PropEdit can open and write XML-based, as well as binary property list files. Users can freely convert data between the two variants. It is additionally possible to read property list files in the OpenStep format, used by macOS's predecessor NeXT OPENSTEP for Mach.
  • PropEdit can open and save lists in strict JSON format. When writing, you can choose to create files that are either readable or very compact.
  • If technically possible, plist and JSON files can be converted back and forth in both directions.

PropEdit is a simplified version of our programs PrefEdit and PrefEdit App, which are among the oldest applications for working with property lists on the macOS platform (formerly Mac OS X and OS X). PropEdit has been optimized for the restrictions of the App Store. Unlike PrefEdit, PropEdit does not support direct work with the macOS “preferences” system, since Apple no longer allows this in the App Store as of June 2012. Instead, PropEdit adds support for the JSON format next to plists.

The software is distributed electronically through Apple's Mac App Store.