PlistParser.rb

# USAGE:
# parser = Util::PlistParser.new("#{ENV['HOME']}/.cappconfig")
# config_hash = parser.parse!

module Util
  class PlistParser
    
    attr_accessor :file
    
    DOCTYPE        = /280NPLIST;1.0;D;/
    END_OF_FILE    = "E;"
    VALUE_LENGTH   = /([0-9]\;)|([0-9][0-9]\;)/
        
    def initialize(file)
      @file = file
    end
    
    def parse!
      contents = File.open(@file) {|f| f.read}
      
      # remove the doctype
      contents.gsub!(DOCTYPE, "")
      
      # remove the end of file identifier
      contents.gsub!(END_OF_FILE, "")
      
      # remove the value length identifiers
      contents.gsub!(VALUE_LENGTH, "")
      
      # split the remaining string by end of key values
      pairs = contents.split("K;")
      
      # pull the kv pairs into a ruby hash
      hash = {}
      pairs.each do |p|
        kv = p.split("S;")
        hash[kv[0]] = kv[1]
      end
      
      return hash
    end
    
  end
end