Trouble opening plist files in text editor

Solution 1:

plist files are not necessarily plain text so they need to be run through a converter. Finder and Xcode (which has a plist editor) do this without telling the user

The binary format is documented in this C code so any application can convert it and someone has written a format description in English and more Apple documentation here but note that it references old paths in /Developer/Documentation

The command line program plutil can convert to and from XML

e.g. to view a binary property list in XML format on stdout:

plutil -convert xml1 -o - <file name>

Also to convert a binary to a XML plist in place and then leave it so that the user program can read either.

plutil -convert xml1 <file name>

Solution 2:

You can also edit plist files with PlistBuddy, which is a command-line program.

PlistBuddy is located at /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy.

Solution 3:

Since you mentioned Sublime Text, there is now a plugin you can use which automatically does the conversion for you:

https://packagecontrol.io/packages/BinaryPlist

Solution 4:

I made a CMD (Batch) File to assist people with Converting plist files on Windows:
Instructions:
1.Copy all of the code
2.Create a new Text Document
3.Paste the Code
4.Save the File
5.Rename the file with ".bat" instead of ".txt"
6.Open it

    @echo off
    title PLIST Converter ~SyndiShanX
    mode 1000
    color 0b

    ::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Separation-Bar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    :filedirectory
    cls
    echo Either: Type the Directory of the File: (Ex. C:\Users\(UserName)\Desktop\File.plist) or Drag and Drop File onto This Window
    echo Made by: [SyndiShanX]
    echo File Directory:
    set /p directory=
    cls

    ::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Separation-Bar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    :convertfile
    start "" "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\plutil.exe" -convert xml1 %directory%
    goto complete

    ::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Separation-Bar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    :complete
    title File Conversion Complete!
    color 0a
    echo File Conversion Complete!
    pause
    cls
    goto exit

    ::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Separation-Bar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    :exit
    color 0c
    title Exiting...
    echo Exiting...
    pause
    cls
    exit

Or you can Use the version that doesn't close after conversion to allow multiple conversions without reopening the file:

    @echo off
    title PLIST Converter ~SyndiShanX
    mode 1000
    color 0b

    ::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Separation-Bar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    :filedirectory
    cls
    echo Either: Type the Directory of the File: (Ex. C:\Users\(UserName)\Desktop\File.plist) or Drag and Drop File onto This Window
    echo Made by: [SyndiShanX]
    echo File Directory:
    set /p directory=
    cls

    ::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Separation-Bar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    :convertfile
    start "" "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Apple Application Support\plutil.exe" -convert xml1 %directory%
    goto filedirectory