Read a plist file, write out any embedded plist files.
Embedded plist files are written with the same filename up to the .plist filename extension, adding the key name representing the embedded plist data at the end of the filename (e.g. the embedded plist data in the key dndEffectiveOverrides in the com.apple.nano.plist file will produce a new file called com.apple.nano-dndEffectiveOverrides.plist. If the filename already exists, a sequential identifier is added to the filename (-1, -2, -3, etc.) Output files are written in the current working directory when the plistsubtractor script is run.
$ ls com.apple.nano.plist
com.apple.nano.plist
$ plistsubtractor.py com.apple.nano.plist
Writing com.apple.nano-dndEffectiveOverrides.plist
$ ls -l com.apple.nano*
-rw-r--r-- 1 jwright staff 764 Dec 26 19:35 com.apple.nano-dndEffectiveOverrides.plist
-rw-r--r-- 1 jwright staff 1046 Dec 26 16:21 com.apple.nano.plist
You can specify multiple filenames in one command:
$ ls
com.apple.Accessibility.plist com.apple.NanoMail.plist com.apple.companionappd.plist com.apple.nano.plist
com.apple.Carousel.plist com.apple.NanoMusicSync.plist com.apple.healthd.plist com.apple.nanopassbook.plist
com.apple.ET.plist com.apple.ToneLibrary.plist com.apple.mobilecal.plist com.apple.nanosystemsettings.plist
com.apple.MobileSMS.plist com.apple.bulletinboard.apps.plist com.apple.mobilephone.plist com.apple.stockholm.plist
$ plistsubtractor.py *.plist
Writing com.apple.Carousel-IconPositions.plist
Writing com.apple.NanoMail-NanoMailIncludeMail.plist
Writing com.apple.mobilephone-kVoicemailForReplicationKey.plist
Writing com.apple.nano-dndEffectiveOverrides.plist
Combined with find, whee!
$ find ~/Library/ -type f -name \*.plist -print0 | xargs -0 plistsubtractor.py
Writing Saved Status-Saved Status Array.plist
Writing Info-iBooks Data 2.plist
Writing Info-iBooks Data 2-1.plist
Writing Info-iBooks Data 2-2.plist
Writing Info-iBooks Data 2-3.plist
Writing Info-iBooks Data 2-4.plist
Writing Info-iBooks Data 2-5.plist
Writing Info-iBooks Data 2-6.plist
Writing Info-iBooks Data 2-7.plist
Writing Saved Status-Saved Status Array-1.plist
Writing com.apple.commerce.knownclients-com.apple.appstore:453.plist
Writing com.apple.commerce.knownclients-com.apple.appstore:376.plist
Writing com.apple.commerce.knownclients-com.apple.appstore:459.plist
Writing com.apple.commerce.knownclients-com.apple.ibooks:453.plist
Writing com.apple.commerce.knownclients-com.apple.ibooks:376.plist
Writing Info-FFSegmentStoreStoredFrameIndexes.plist
Writing Info-FFSegmentStoreStoredFrameIndexes-1.plist
Writing Info-FFSegmentStoreStoredFrameIndexes-2.plist
Joshua Wright, @joswr1ght, jwright@hasborg.com