This is going to be much more complex than just editing a file somewhere. I've been a hobbyist Mac developer for almost 25 years, and I wouldn't have a clue how to get started with this. It's going to take some work.
If you're up for it, go to the
Apple Developer Connection site and set up a free account. Unfortunately, there aren't any free forums there that I'm aware of, so you'll have to find another place to ask questions. Too bad there aren't any developer forums here. I've been a bit out of the developer loop for a few years, so I'm afraid I can't point you to current forums/mailing lists.
Alternatively, you could try a different launcher. People bash the Dock all the time, but I like it. Still, I've discovered that I like
Quicksilver even more than the Dock. It's free, and it lets you use your keyboard to launch apps. Just press control-space (you can change this if you like) and type a few letters of the app's name. Depending on the app and how often you use it, you may only have to type one or two letters. If you prefer to avoid the keyboard, another launcher might do better for you.
