XML Property List
The XML plist is the XML serialization of Apple property lists, representing structured data with elements such as <dict>/<array>/<string>.
Purpose
To store configuration (Info.plist, preferences) as XML in macOS/iOS, allowing manual editing and version control.
Mechanism
The root <plist> element contains one value node: <dict> (alternating <key> and value elements), <array>, <string>/<integer>/<real>/<true/>/<false/>/<data> (Base64)/<date> (ISO 8601).
Use cases
- iOS Info.plist
- macOS preferences
- Xcode project configuration