Convert user defaults (plist) into shell script with ease!

A while ago, I started to build dotfiles up. Soon found out there is no robust way to convert preferences (plists) into shell scripts. So, decided to create a such script to automate the processes.

This script has been just only for myself though, today, I'm releasing it to the public 🎉
To, make a such time into constructive one, at least a part of it. Take it from a different perspective, this might be a good chance to review or reconstruct your dotfiles. It'll be a fun with defaults.sh.

Stay Home, Stay Safe. Instead, Unleash the Power of defaults!

• When you build dotfiles, aren't they inconvenient format?

  NeXTStep Format

  $ defaults read com.apple.dock

  {
      autohide = 1;
      "autohide-delay" = 0;
      "autohide-time-modifier" = 0;
  ...

  XML Property Lists

  $ defaults export com.apple.dock -

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
  <plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
      <key>autohide</key>
      <true/>
      <key>autohide-delay</key>
      <real>0.0</real>
      <key>autohide-time-modifier</key>
      <real>0.0</real>
  ...

• With ds, you'll get this:

  Shell Script Format

  $ ds -d com.apple.dock

  #!/usr/bin/env bash
  
  defaults write com.apple.dock "autohide" -boolean true
  defaults write com.apple.dock "autohide-delay" -float 0.0
  defaults write com.apple.dock "autohide-time-modifier" -float 0.0
  ...

• Based on Bash
  • GNU bash, version 3.2.57(1)-release (x86_64-apple-darwin19) shipped with macOS Catalina
  • Originally written on macOS Mojave, thus it works on macOS Mojave
  • Although not sure with the older macOSes, it should work
• Dependencies are only
  • chmod date defaults mkdir sleep wc
  • Which are shipped with macOS by default
• All the parsing are done with the shell's string manipulation

• Homebrew

brew install localbrew/core/ds

• Portable

# Download onto ~/Desktop & make it executable
ds=~/Desktop/ds; curl "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aerobounce/defaults.sh/master/ds" >| "$ds" && chmod -vv $(sh -c 'printf "%04o" $((0777 - $(umask)))') "$ds"

NAME
    defaults.sh -- Convert user defaults (plist) into shell script

USAGE
    ds
    ds (-d | domain) <(domain | plist-path)>
    ds (-s | save)

DESCRIPTION
    [no command]
            Shows this help.

    (-d | domain) <(domain | plist-path)>
            Prints parsed user defaults of specified domain or .plist file.
            Both of the following commands are valid:
                $ ds -d com.apple.dock
                $ ds -d ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist

    (-s | save)
            Exports all the defaults to ~/Desktop as executable .sh files.
            Domains are:
                'defaults -currentHost domains' + NSGlobalDomain
                'defaults domains' + NSGlobalDomain

• If you want to see the preferences of Dock.app on the fly:

  $ ds -d com.apple.dock
  #!/usr/bin/env bash
  
  defaults write com.apple.dock "autohide" -boolean true
  defaults write com.apple.dock "autohide-delay" -float 0.0
  defaults write com.apple.dock "autohide-time-modifier" -float 0.0
  defaults write com.apple.dock "enable-spring-load-actions-on-all-items" -boolean true
  defaults write com.apple.dock "expose-group-apps" -boolean true
  defaults write com.apple.dock "launchanim" -boolean true
  defaults write com.apple.dock "magnification" -boolean false
  ...

• Or pipe it into any command you like:

  $ ds -d com.apple.dock | <subl | less...>

• Export all the user defaults as shell script:

  $ ds save
  
  $ ls ~/Desktop
  ds 2020.04.11 14.54.06/
  
  $ ls -1 'ds 2020.04.11 14.54.06'
  ContextStoreAgent.sh*
  MobileMeAccounts.sh*
  NSGlobalDomain.currentHost.sh*
  NSGlobalDomain.sh*
  com.apple.AMPDevicesAgent.sh*
  com.apple.AMPLibraryAgent.sh*
  ...

  • Now you can integrate them into your dotfiles (You'll need to remove needles keys though)

• Script that resets preferences of an app while preserving your settings:

  #!/usr/bin/env bash
  
  trap 'killall Finder ; open -a Finder >/dev/null 2>&1' EXIT
  
  defaults remove com.apple.finder
  
  defaults write com.apple.finder "AppleShowAllFiles" -boolean true
  defaults write com.apple.finder "DisableAllAnimations" -boolean true
  defaults write com.apple.finder "FK_AppCentricShowSidebar" -boolean true
  defaults write com.apple.finder "FXAddSearchToSidebar" -boolean false
  defaults write com.apple.finder "FXArrangeGroupViewBy" -string 'Kind'
  defaults write com.apple.finder "FXDefaultSearchScope" -string 'SCcf'
  defaults write com.apple.finder "FXEnableExtensionChangeWarning" -boolean false
  ...