What are Alias and com.apple.LSSharedFileList.Binding data in sidebsarlists.plist

Question

In the com.apple.sidebarlist.plist file you can find different CustomListItems for the "Favorites" items in Finder's Sidebar.

For example:

<dict>
    <key>Alias</key>
    <data>
    AAAAAACmAAMAAQAAzyiimAAASCsAAAAAAAkOewAJDn8A
    AM8oo6IAAAAACSD//gAAAAAAAAAA/////wABAAgACQ57
    AAJl2QAOABQACQBEAG8AdwBuAGwAbwBhAGQAcwAPABoA
    DABNAGEAYwBpAG4AdABvAHMAaAAgAEgARAASABVVc2Vy
    cy9uYWlhZC9Eb3dubG9hZHMAABMAAS8AABUAAgAM//8A
    AA==
    </data>
    <key>CustomItemProperties</key>
    <dict>
        <key>com.apple.LSSharedFileList.Binding</key>
        <data>
        ZG5pYgAAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
        AAAAAAAAAAAAZm53ZAIAAAAAAAAA
        </data>
        <key>com.apple.LSSharedFileList.TemplateSystemSelector</key>
        <integer>1935819884</integer>
    </dict>
    <key>Name</key>
    <string>Downloads</string>
</dict>

What are "Alias" and "com.apple.LSSharedFileList.Binding" data and how to create your own data?

I guess they are icons or path to them, but how to generate these data strings, what are the specification for those icons and where do they have to be stored?

The two blobs are base64 encoded. Their format does not resemble anything I know of. The first blob contans a reference to /Users/naiad/Downloads/ and the second to a non-Latin script word/name. — Daniel, Dec 10 '14 at 22:48
But it's not "only" base64 ... it has something more ... Also I'd like to know how to "encode" to that — FlamingMoe, Dec 10 '14 at 23:19

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 09 '15 at 06:50

1

See Apple's documentation on NSURL and bookmarks:

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/Foundation/Classes/NSURL_Class/index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000301-SW34

answered Apr 09 '15 at 06:50

Karsten

221

What are Alias and com.apple.LSSharedFileList.Binding data in sidebsarlists.plist

1 Answers1