UserDefaults and cfprefsd manage the preference system, an amorphous database spread across hundreds of files which can only be controlled in Terminal. It’s time for a change.
defaults
Something wrong with the Finder or an app, and you want to trash its preferences? Don’t: macOS will defeat you. Here’s how to do that so it works.
When nothing seems able to get that preference setting right, don’t abandon hope – follow this instead.
Do you want Photos to show its library selection dialog when it opens? Here’s one solution without the Option key.
Preference files are involved in many Mac problems, and are often their solution. Using them now isn’t simple: here is some guidance.
Inside all those hidden settings which control App Nap to Trackpad scaling factors: what they are and how to set them.
Source code workthrough of one method of checking for and automatically downloading updates to an app, in Swift 5 for macOS 10.11-10.14.
Maintaining a menu gathered across all the open documents could be tricky. Here’s a simple solution using UserDefaults and NotificationCenter.
Where to find hidden global default settings, and how to change them without paying for a utility like MacPilot.
How much more difficult is it to write your own code to handle user preferences, rather than letting UserDefaults handle them?
