What API is there for selecting iTunes library location?

Question

How does one programatically set the iTunes library location on macOS to custom locations using e.g. C / Obj-C or Swift API?

Alternatively, environmental settings, such as modifying plists, using the defaults CLI tool, or similar approaches, are also OK for me.

Ordinarily, selecting a custom iTunes library location is done by launching iTunes while holding down the option key. I need to be able to do this in e.g. a unit testing environment / programatically.

Answer 1

You may be able to set it via the prefs. This is how I access it.

-(void)loadITunesPrefLibraryPath {
NSUserDefaults *userDefaults = [NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults];
NSDictionary *userPref = [userDefaults persistentDomainForName:@"com.apple.iTunes"];

id dataBaseLoc = [userPref objectForKey:@"Database Location"];
NSLog(@"%s dataBaseLoc is:%@", __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, dataBaseLoc);
NSLog(@"%s dataBaseLoc class is:%@", __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, [dataBaseLoc class]);
NSData* dataBaseData = (NSData*)dataBaseLoc;
BOOL staleBook = NO;
NSError* bookError = nil;
NSURL* dataBaseURL = [NSURL URLByResolvingBookmarkData:dataBaseData options:NSURLBookmarkResolutionWithoutMounting relativeToURL:nil bookmarkDataIsStale:&staleBook error:&bookError];
self.libExtDBfile = dataBaseURL;
}

Once you get the userPrefs for iTunes. And create a BookMarkData from URL. You might be able to set it via

[userPref setObject:newDataBaseLoc forKey:@"Database Location"];

also see next answer for possible ITLibrary framework private API access