Вы можете посмотреть исходный файл CFBinaryPList.c , чтобы увидеть, как он реализован в C.
В зависимости от файла его формат выглядит следующим образом:
HEADER
magic number ("bplist")
file format version (currently "0?")
OBJECT TABLE
variable-sized objects
Object Formats (marker byte followed by additional info in some cases)
null 0000 0000 // null object [v"1?"+ only]
bool 0000 1000 // false
bool 0000 1001 // true
url 0000 1100 string // URL with no base URL, recursive encoding of URL string [v"1?"+ only]
url 0000 1101 base string // URL with base URL, recursive encoding of base URL, then recursive encoding of URL string [v"1?"+ only]
uuid 0000 1110 // 16-byte UUID [v"1?"+ only]
fill 0000 1111 // fill byte
int 0001 0nnn ... // # of bytes is 2^nnn, big-endian bytes
real 0010 0nnn ... // # of bytes is 2^nnn, big-endian bytes
date 0011 0011 ... // 8 byte float follows, big-endian bytes
data 0100 nnnn [int] ... // nnnn is number of bytes unless 1111 then int count follows, followed by bytes
string 0101 nnnn [int] ... // ASCII string, nnnn is # of chars, else 1111 then int count, then bytes
string 0110 nnnn [int] ... // Unicode string, nnnn is # of chars, else 1111 then int count, then big-endian 2-byte uint16_t
string 0111 nnnn [int] ... // UTF8 string, nnnn is # of chars, else 1111 then int count, then bytes [v"1?"+ only]
uid 1000 nnnn ... // nnnn+1 is # of bytes
1001 xxxx // unused
array 1010 nnnn [int] objref* // nnnn is count, unless '1111', then int count follows
ordset 1011 nnnn [int] objref* // nnnn is count, unless '1111', then int count follows [v"1?"+ only]
set 1100 nnnn [int] objref* // nnnn is count, unless '1111', then int count follows [v"1?"+ only]
dict 1101 nnnn [int] keyref* objref* // nnnn is count, unless '1111', then int count follows
1110 xxxx // unused
1111 xxxx // unused
OFFSET TABLE
list of ints, byte size of which is given in trailer
-- these are the byte offsets into the file
-- number of these is in the trailer
TRAILER
byte size of offset ints in offset table
byte size of object refs in arrays and dicts
number of offsets in offset table (also is number of objects)
element # in offset table which is top level object
offset table offset