A docutil idea

I haven't used ducutil, but if there is a way to script it then what I would do is create a script that has your basic dock items you need, then use the parameters in the script grab the rest ($4, $5, etc). Scripts can accept up to 8 parameters so you should be able to fine tune it for your needs.

@Bartoo one way would be to create a dictionary, or array, of the apps in a script and then iterate through that dictionary with an if/then loop or a case statement that then executes the appropriate dockutil command. The psuedo-code could look something like this:

appList={all of the apps}
counter=0
if $appList[$counter] then
dockutil --add $appList[$counter]
counter=counter+1
fi

Again, that's only psuedo-code but could be hashed out in Bash or Python.

My implementation uses a folder full of plist files that contain items required, the AD group of users that the item is relvant to and a string of arguments for dockutil.
A script is run from a launchagent that reads all the *.dockitems files in the folder and checks if each item in each file is available and relevant to the current user and then adds it using dockutil if it is.
I also have a flag file written to the user profile so that this only happen once on first login, but is easy to reset for a specific user if required.
If you want to add additional items to a machine or user you simply drop another plist file in the folder with the info you want.

This was written some time ago now and probably needs a rework, however we don't need that until next December so probably not going to happen before then.

This is the script (slightly sanitised to remove organistation references in flag files).

#!/bin/bash
# Clears the Dock
# Adds the contents of all .dock files in /Library/Scripts/DockItems
# Relaunches the Dock
# Only runs once per user

##Wait for Finder
Run_Count=0
Run_Delay=5
Run_Limit=10
while [[ ! "$(ps -c -u $USER | awk /Finder/)" ]] && [[ $Run_Count -lt $Run_Limit ]] && [[ ! -f ~/Library/Preferences/org.yourorg.Dock.plist ]]; do
sleep $Run_Delay
let Run_Count=$Run_Count+1
done
sleep 10

##Initial Variables
DOCK_UTIL="/Library/Scripts/DockItems/dockutil"
ITEM_STORE="/Library/Scripts/DockItems/"

echo "Pop Dock run Started for "$USER" at "$(date) > ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
IFS=$'
'
if [[ "$(ls "$ITEM_STORE" | awk /DockItems.plist/)" ]]  && [[ ! -f ~/Library/Preferences/org.yourorg.Dock.plist ]];then
$DOCK_UTIL --remove all --no-restart
for CONFIG in "$ITEM_STORE"*.DockItems.plist
do
echo >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
echo $CONFIG >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
if [ "$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "print :" "$CONFIG" | awk -F" =" '/= Dict/ { print $1 }' | sed -e 's/^[[:space:]]*//')" ]
then
    for DOCK_ITEM in $(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "print :" "$CONFIG" | awk -F" =" '/= Dict/ { print $1 }' | sed -e 's/^[[:space:]]*//')
    do
    APP_PATH=$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "print :"$DOCK_ITEM":path" "$CONFIG")
    APP_PATH=$(echo $APP_PATH | sed 's,~,'$(echo ~)',g')
    if [ -a "$APP_PATH" ]
    then    
        ARG=$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "print :"$DOCK_ITEM":argument" "$CONFIG")
        SCOPE=$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "print :"$DOCK_ITEM":scope" "$CONFIG")
        if [ -z "$SCOPE" ] || [ "$SCOPE" == "all" ] || [ "$SCOPE" == "All" ]
        then
            SCOPE="ALL"
        fi
        if [ "$SCOPE" == "ALL" ] || [ "$(id | awk /$SCOPE/)" ]
        then
        echo "ADDING $DOCK_ITEM with path: $APP_PATH Scope: $SCOPE argument: $ARG" >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
        IFS=" "
        $DOCK_UTIL --add "$APP_PATH" $ARG --no-restart
        IFS=$'
'
        else
        echo "SKIPPING $DOCK_ITEM as user is not a member of $SCOPE" >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
        fi
    else
        echo "$DOCK_ITEM NOT FOUND! path: $APP_PATH" >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
    fi
    done
else
    echo "No items detected in $CONFIG" >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
fi
done
$DOCK_UTIL --add /Applications/Launchpad.app --position first
touch ~/Library/Preferences/org.yourorg.Dock.plist
else
echo >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
echo "FINISHING no config found or dock already configured" >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
fi
echo >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log
echo "Pop Dock run finished for "$USER" at "$(date) >> ~/Library/Logs/popDock.log

This is a sample .dockitems file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Home</key>
    <dict>
        <key>path</key>
        <string>~/</string>
        <key>argument</key>
        <string>--view list --display folder --position first</string>
        <key>scope</key>
        <string>ALL</string>
    </dict>   
    <key>Adobe Apps</key>
    <dict>
        <key>path</key>
        <string>/Users/Shared/Adobe Apps/</string>
        <key>argument</key>
        <string>--view list --display stack --position middle</string>
        <key>scope</key>
        <string>ALL</string>
    </dict>   
    <key>Downloads</key>
    <dict>
        <key>path</key>
        <string>~/Downloads</string>
        <key>argument</key>
        <string>--view list --display folder --position last</string>
        <key>scope</key>
        <string>ALL</string>
    </dict>   
</dict>
</plist>