Pref Setter is an application that allows users to edit Property List files. These type of files store user and application preferences and most of the time are not accessible via an interface. With Pref Setter however, users can easily locate and modify plist files and unlock hidden settings, part of the operating system or of a specific utility.
The application stands its ground even when compared to Apple's Xcode built-in feature. With this tool you can perform searches within system-wide plist files. Pref Setter displays all Property List entries grouped up in the System Preferences, Registration Domain and User Preferences containers. Once an entry is located, you may have the level of access (owner and privilege) as well as plist information displayed. When editing a file, users can add custom dictionary, array and key values and change the class type (string, data, integer, float, boolean, date, array, dictionary).
Pref Setter makes it very easy to work with plist files. The program proves to be useful because it allows you to make various adjustments for your applications. The utility automatically minimizes when losing focus, which means you constantly have to look it up and open it from your Dock. Other than that, it is quite solid and should prove helpful to all users.
v2.0 [Apr 22, 2010]
New Features:
Pref Setter now uses the authorization frameworks to enable editing of system level plist files.
New tool bar item and menu items in the contextual menus for the “Open Domain Quickly” window and Find panel which will allow you to launch or quit the application a property list belongs to.
Data items are now editable, in a separate hex editor window.
If a value is too long to be shown entirely while editing, a separate window will now open to allow easier editing.
You can now use regular expressions when searching.
Added the Sparkle framework, for automatic updates.
Changed Features:
Changed display of dates to show a formatted date string rather than the raw date.
If you copy/drag an item from a non-writable file, the “defaults write…” string generated will now have sudo written before it.
Can now display dictionaries and arrays in a preference document in bold.
“Open Domain Quickly” window now shows icons.
Font for the items in the “Open Domain Quickly” window is now separately set from the document font.
You can now change a class to a Data type (though you can’t change a Data type to another class).
Updated Preference pane.
Updated Find panel.
Updated Get Info window.
Updated Help documentation.
Pref Setter now requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
Bug Fixes:
Leopard compatibility fixes.
Fixed a bug where pasting or dragging a “defaults write…” string with a boolean type would always default to true.
Fixed a bug where pasting or dragging a “defaults write…” string of either the -array-add or -dict-add type would replace the entire array or dictionary with the new value rather than adding the new value.
Fixed a bug that could lead to a crash when changing the class to a Boolean, Integer, Float, or Date class.
“Open Domain Quickly” window no longer allows you to delete the preferences of a running application, which could lead to that application crashing.
