plistlib output self-sorted dictionary

[halfjuice]

BPO	18168
Nosy	@ronaldoussoren, @ned-deily, @mher, @hynek

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2014-07-23.16:07:37.774>
created_at = <Date 2013-06-08.03:52:16.395>
labels = ['type-bug', 'library']
title = 'plistlib output self-sorted dictionary'
updated_at = <Date 2014-07-23.16:07:37.773>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/halfjuice'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2014-07-23.16:07:37.773>
actor = 'serhiy.storchaka'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2014-07-23.16:07:37.774>
closer = 'serhiy.storchaka'
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2013-06-08.03:52:16.395>
creator = 'halfjuice'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 18168
keywords = []
message_count = 5.0
messages = ['190792', '190815', '190845', '190888', '190942']
nosy_count = 5.0
nosy_names = ['ronaldoussoren', 'ned.deily', 'mher', 'halfjuice', 'hynek']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'out of date'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue18168'
versions = ['Python 3.3']

[halfjuice]

Even with OrderedDict, the plistlib will still output the dict in its own order. Search for sorted(d.items()) in plistlib.py and you will know why. It is certainly warm-hearted to sort this before putting it into plist file but I think sometimes we just want a customized order.

[mher]

I think this is not a bug. plistlib api accepts dict (not OrderedDict) and sorted output is a valid output. plistlib sorts dictionaries to be consistent with Apple's tools.

property list format [1] uses CFDictionary [2] with CFString keys. CFDictionary is unordered and the plist example in the format [1] is unordered too. But plutil [3] command sorts dictionaries. It is easy to observe by self-converting plist files with "plutil -convert xml1 test.plist" command.

1. https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man5/plist.5.html

2. http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/CoreFoundation/Reference/CFDictionaryRef/Reference/reference.html

3. https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/plutil.1.html

[halfjuice]

Thanks for giving out docs and start a detail discussion on this Mher!

Sorry I'm not familiar with Apple plist tool (I'm using cocos2d-x on win32 for the moment...) Are you saying that plutil is used everytime we output a valid plist?

Another thing is whether the example in [1] is valid or not? If it is, I think we should provide unordered functionality.

The OrderedDict is subclass of dict and thus is acceptable as plistlib input. Actually when I remove the line for sort, the plist output as expected (with not order).

[ronaldoussoren]

I'm reworking the patch in bpo-14455 and one of the things I intend to do is to add a keyword argument that controls whether or not the keys in dictionaries will be sorted by plistlib.

[halfjuice]

Awesome. Thanks Ronald!