dockplistfile="${HOME}/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist"

cp -ip "${dockplistfile}" "${dockplistfile}.orig"

plutil -convert xml1 -o /dev/fd/1 "${dockplistfile}" | /usr/bin/pl
plutil -convert xml1 -o ~/Desktop/com.apple.dock.plist "${dockplistfile}"
open -e ~/Desktop/com.apple.dock.plist


# get an example entry from $dockplistfile (last application in the Dock)
# cf. http://codesnippets.joyent.com/posts/show/1814

num_apps_dock=$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps" "${dockplistfile}" | awk -F '=' '/CFURLString = /{print $2}' | wc -l)
echo ${num_apps_dock}

/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 
#/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:${num_apps_dock}" "${dockplistfile}" 

/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:_CFURLString" "${dockplistfile}"


open /bin/bash


# we will first create an example entry step by step
# note: persistent-apps is an array that stores dictionaries

dockplistfile="${HOME}/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist"

# get a free array index number (that is, the last + 1 array index)
free_num_apps_dock=$(( 1 + $(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps" "${dockplistfile}" | awk -F '=' '/CFURLString = /{print $2}' | wc -l) ))
echo ${free_num_apps_dock}

# add a dictionary to the persistent-apps array at array index ${free_num_apps_dock}
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}' dict" "${dockplistfile}" 

# print the dictionay in the persistent-apps array at array index ${free_num_apps_dock}
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 

# add a dictionary named "tile-data" to the previously added dictionary 
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data dict" "${dockplistfile}" 

/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 

# add the dictionary 'file-data' to the dictionary 'tile-data'
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data dict" "${dockplistfile}" 

/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 

# add key - value pairs to the file-data dictionary
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:thisIsAKey string 'this is a string value'" "${dockplistfile}" 
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:_CFURLString string '/path/to/app'" "${dockplistfile}" 
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:_CFURLStringType integer 0" "${dockplistfile}" 

/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 

# delete the dictionay in the persistent-apps array at array index ${free_num_apps_dock}
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 

# print all dictionaries of the persistent-apps array
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps" "${dockplistfile}" 


# short version
dockplistfile="${HOME}/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist"
free_num_apps_dock=$(( 1 + $(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps" "${dockplistfile}" | awk -F '=' '/CFURLString = /{print $2}' | wc -l) ))
echo ${free_num_apps_dock}
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:thisIsAKey string 'this is a string value'" "${dockplistfile}" 
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:_CFURLString string '/path/to/app'" "${dockplistfile}" 
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:_CFURLStringType integer 0" "${dockplistfile}" 
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps" "${dockplistfile}" 


:<<-'COMMENT'
# example entry
Dict {
    tile-data = Dict {
        file-data = Dict {
            thisIsAKey = this is a string value
            _CFURLString = /path/to/app
            _CFURLStringType = 0
        }
    }
}

COMMENT



#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



# app2dock
# allows case insensitive name of application as input
# uses lsregister & egrep -i

# lsregister
/usr/bin/sudo /bin/ln -is $(/usr/bin/locate *lsregister | /usr/bin/head -n 1) /bin/lsregister 

function app2dock() {
   declare appname dockplistfile free_num_apps_dock path
   dockplistfile="${HOME}/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist"

   for appname in "${@}"; do
      appname="${appname%/}"
      path="$(/bin/lsregister -dump | /usr/bin/egrep -i -m 1 "path: +.*\/[^\/]*${appname}[^\/]*\.app$" | \
                /usr/bin/sed -E 's/^[[:space:]]+path:[[:space:]]+//')"
      if [[ -z "${path}" ]]; then echo "No such application: ${appname}"; continue; fi
      path="${path%/}"
      if [[ ! -d "${path}" ]] || [[ "${path}" == "${path%.app}" ]]; then echo "Argument error: ${path}"; continue; fi
      free_num_apps_dock=$(( 1 + $(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps" "${dockplistfile}" | \
             /usr/bin/awk -F '=' '/CFURLString = /{print $2}' | /usr/bin/wc -l) ))
      #echo ${free_num_apps_dock}
      /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:_CFURLString string '${path}'" "${dockplistfile}" 
      /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:_CFURLStringType integer 0" "${dockplistfile}" 
      #/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 
      /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c save "${dockplistfile}" &>/dev/null
   done

   /usr/bin/killall -HUP Dock
   return 0
}



# app2dock_fp
# only allows full file path to application as input

function app2dock_fp() {
   declare dockplistfile free_num_apps_dock path
   dockplistfile="${HOME}/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist"

   for path in "${@}"; do
      path="${path%/}"
      if [[ ! -d "${path}" ]] || [[ "${path}" == "${path%.app}" ]]; then echo "Argument error: ${path}"; continue; fi
      free_num_apps_dock=$(( 1 + $(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps" "${dockplistfile}" | \
             /usr/bin/awk -F '=' '/CFURLString = /{print $2}' | /usr/bin/wc -l) ))
      #echo ${free_num_apps_dock}
      /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:_CFURLString string '${path}'" "${dockplistfile}" 
      /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Add :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}':tile-data:file-data:_CFURLStringType integer 0" "${dockplistfile}" 
      #/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${free_num_apps_dock}'" "${dockplistfile}" 
      /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c save "${dockplistfile}" &>/dev/null

   done

   /usr/bin/killall -HUP Dock
   return 0
}



# remove_app_from_dock
# allows case insensitive name of application as input

function remove_app_from_dock() {

   declare appname dockplistfile nums=""

   dockplistfile="${HOME}/Library/Preferences/com.apple.dock.plist"

   for appname in "${@}"; do

      appname="${appname%/}"

      nums=""
      nums=$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps" "${dockplistfile}" | /usr/bin/awk -F '=' '/CFURLString = /{print $2}' | \
            /usr/bin/nl | /usr/bin/egrep -i "${appname}" | /usr/bin/awk '{print $1}' | /usr/bin/sort -rn)

      if [[ -z "${nums}" ]]; then echo "No application: ${appname} found in the Dock."; continue; fi

      for num in ${nums}; do
         /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :persistent-apps:'${num}'" "${dockplistfile}" 
      done

      # test
      #for num in ${nums}; do
      #   /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :persistent-apps:'${num}'" "${dockplistfile}" 
      #done

      /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c save "${dockplistfile}" &>/dev/null

   done

   /usr/bin/killall -HUP Dock

   return 0

}


app2dock_fp /Applications/Chess.app /Applications/Chess.app

app2dock chess grapher

remove_app_from_dock chess grapher