I have created a Mac app, now I want to add a Preferences to this. I looked up and came to know that I need to use NSPreferencePane. I have created a separate Xcode project for this and it will get generate a .prefPane file. On running this it will ask whether to add to system preferences or not and adds it if selected.
How can I bundle my app and preferences together ?
If I package this as a dmg file should I put both .app anf .prefPane file in the dmg file ?
It sounds like you want to magically (or programmatically) copy the preference pane into the right place (~/Library/PreferencePanes or /Library/PreferencePanes).
If you're going to copy it into your user's Preference Pane folder (i.e. ~/Library/PreferencePanes), you should be able to simply copy it from your Application bundle into there.
If you want to copy it into a system-wide Preference Pane folder (i.e. /Library/PreferencePanes), you'll need to write a privileged tool or helper app that gets Administrator priviledges so it can do the copy. Creating these things is not the most trivial of tasks.
If you are not distributing via the Apple App Store, you could use an installer package to install both your application and your preference pane. The newest option from Apple is "productbuild", which is a command line tool. PackageMaker is Apple's older tool for creating installers, and you can get it as part of the Auxillary Tools for Xcode, available from the Downloads section of developer.apple.com, and there are a bunch of other installer-building tools you could use to ship your Preference Pane with your app, such as "Iceberg".
It would be much easier to simply add the preferences interface to the app itself.
Related
Our Electron app uses electron-builder and adds file associations to MacOS when it is installed from a .dmg file. Setting the association works fine, but we don't seem to handle the 'open-file' correctly inside the app, as files don't load as expected.
Is there a way of working with file association and debugging the app at the same time? I know that I could change the code and add some console logs, build the .dmg file, install it, try it and repeat. But this workflow seems very tedious, so I'm looking for a simpler way of doing this.
Can I somehow manually register the file association for the dev version of the Electron app, so that it's enough to build it and then click on some files in Finder? Or can I trigger the 'open-file' event of my app manually?
Turns out it‘s enough to simply build the complete app package. If macOS finds an .app file somewhere on the disk, it is available in Finder‘s file associations.
I use Phonegap Build to create my Android and iOS app files. However I want to compile the files locally on my computer, and not use Phonegap Build. I have done this successfully for Android (see here: https://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/latest/guide/platforms/android/) but iOS is more complicated. I have little Apple-knowledge.
Does anybody know of any good tutorials on how to import a Phonegap plugin in to the xcode environment...ideally one for someone who's background is NOT an Apple developer.
I have managed to do this myself but I've answered my own post to help others who may be in a similar situation - Please note this is correct as of end of 2019, and I had already successfully uploaded an IPA file to the app store via Phonegap Build before. All I'm doing here is compiling my Phonegap/Cordova project IPA file directly on a Mac, rather than using Phonegap Build:
1) You will need a mac and a developer license (as expected). You will be using both a terminal window where possible and Xcode.
2) Certificates and provisioning are a messy nightmare right out of satans bumhole. But just make sure you set up an "App store distribution" profile on your developer.apple.com account. If you don't know how to handle certificates and provisions please read here https://medium.com/ios-os-x-development/ios-code-signing-provisioning-in-a-nutshell-d5b247760bef.
But remember you only need to download the certificate to your Mac, and add it to your "My Certificates" area. The provisions can be automatically downloaded/linked to via Xcode.
3) Install Xcode 11 on your Mac. Forget all the other versions.
4) Install Cordova CLI on your Mac using the terminal - open up the terminal window and type:
sudo npm install -g cordova
5) Create a FRESH cordova project - dont try to be smart by shoe-horning the one you've already used on your PC:
cordova create hello com.example.hello HelloWorld
...you might need to to add "sudo" to the front of that. Don't copy and paste any html files or plugins in to it yet!
6) If your Mac might give you read/write access problems. So locate the entire folder, ctrl+click on the project folder, choose "get info" ...in the bottom right of the popup window click the lock icon and enter your password. Now change all settings to "read and write", then click the cog icon and select "Apply to enclosed items".
7) Create the platform : sudo cordova platform add ios#5.1.0....note, DO NOT use ios5.1.1 if you are using firebase or push notifications, as it seems to break with 5.1.1.
8) Apple will (again) probably give only read access to your new platforms/ios folder, because it hates you and wants you to suffer. So repeat step 6 if necessary.
9) Open Xcode the following way... In your projectname/platforms/ios/ folder locate the .xcworkspace file. This is the file you use to open your project. DO NOT use the .xcodeproj file because this is for older Xcode versions (and it will just break your whole damn project). Also go to File->Workspace Settings and ensure Build System is set to "Legacy Build System".
10) Now piece together your config.xml file by extracting the bits you need from your previous config file to your fresh new one. Don't bother moving over any android-specific bits.
11 a) Apple bring you a fresh slice of hell with cocoapods - a dependency manager for Swift and Objective-C. You'll need to install this if your app uses certain things like push notifications (firebase for example). You can install this via the terminal window. FIRST....close down Xcode. NEXT go to projectname/ and type: sudo gem install cocoapods. FINALLY go to projectname/platforms/ios/ and type pod install.
11 b) There's a bug...a pretty major one. Your cocoapods will fail when building at this point. So you need to do some hacking here. Navigate to the directory projectname/platform/ios/Pods/TargetSupport Files/Pods-yourproject and look for
Pods-yourproject.debug.xconfig and Pods-yourproject.release.xconfig
You need to copy the content of these files into platform/ios
pods-debug-xconfig and pods-release.xconfig respectively----THANK YOU kyale-mwendwa for this tip....https://github.com/phonegap/phonegap-plugin-push/issues/1825#issuecomment-359155007
12) Now copy and paste your www folder over in to your fresh project. You are ready to build your project...
13) Re-open xcode using the .xcworkspace file. Now you need to ensure your provisioning is set up correctly for your release. Click the project name at the top of the left-hand column (right above where it says config.xml). Now in the main window click your app name under the "Targets" section. Now select "Signing and Capabilities". If you managed to set up certificates and provisions correctly you should be able to select your "team" (no I don't know either, just select whatever option you can here), and enter the correct bundle identified (com.whatever.whatever).
14) Ok, you are ready to create your IPA file. Still have hair?? Bonus points for you!
Just before this next bit, go to Xcode and towards the top of the screen you will see the project name followed by "> iPad (7th generation)" or something similar. Click this and make sure you choose "Generic iOS device".
Now back in the terminal enter sudo cordova build ios. You don't have to transport your plugin files over from your windows-built cordova folder. Cordova will detect the plugins you need from your config.xml and install them appropriately.
15) If you have no errors you can now create your IPA file and even submit it directly to the App store (this bit of Xcode is actually really good). In Xcode, from the menu at the top click "Product" and then "Archive". Follow the onscreen instructions. At this point your IPA file is created.
You can choose to automatically distribute your file to the Appstore, but I suggest clicking the "Validate App" option first, which will re-request the correct certificates/provisions and give you a summary of any issues. If no issues you can click "Distribute App" and it will upload the IPA file to your Appstore Connect (formerly iTunes Connect) area.
I want to use the OSX „Packages“ installer to install an Automator workflow, which uses an Obj-C Automator action.
The workflow had to be installed in the folder „Services", and the Obj-C action in the folder „Automator“, both in the user’s or system library.
Unfortunately, Packages shows only part of the existing file hierarchy:
Finder window:
Packages window:
Particularly Packages does not show the Automator folder, so that I cannot create the required payload.
In the docs I could not find a way to get access to the hidden folders.
Any suggestion how to create such an installer package is welcome.
My guess is that Packages is correctly trying to prevent you from installing something into /System/Library. In general, the contents of /System/Library is part of OS X itself and is managed by Apple. The correct place for user-installed system-wide items is in /Library.
In order to install something in the Library/Automator folder (and others that already exist or not), one has to do the following:
Activate in the Contents pane the Library line
Use the menu command Hierarchy/New Folder. This adds a new folder to Library in the Contents pane.
Rename it Automator.
Activate the new Automator line.
Use the + button to add a payload to the Automator folder.
Please note that the created installer will install the payload in an existing Automator folder. It will not replace an existing Automator folder with a new folder!
I want to build a Mac App from scratch. I manually created the required folders of main app, Contents, MacOS, Resources, and dropped the binaries. The only one I don't know how to create from scratch is "Info.plist". So, I just copied one from the installed Applications on my machine, removed all the unfamiliar keys, except the Executable and Package type (as APP).
Then I did a test. Before I copied and editted the Info.plist file, I double-clicked the app icon in Finder. Not working, which is expected. After I copied and editted the Info.plist file, it is working, which is also expected. Next is what I don't understand. I removed the Info.plist file, and double-clicked the app icon in Finder, it is STILL working!
My question is:
Did the first time running migrate the Info.plist information to some secret place in the app bundle?
Is copying and editing an existing Info.plist file from other applications a good practice for building an app from scratch?
I know the post is old but think to answer,so that users will get benefitted as they come across this.You asked two questions:-
1)See the first run has a build and its derived data might help you to run without Info.plist(for particular case although i didn't think so it run).
But you can't run app without info.plist.
2)No.the answer is copying and editing an existing info.plist from other application is not a good practice.
Every app and plug-in uses an Info.plist file to store configuration data in a place where the system can easily access it. OS X and iOS use Info.plist files to determine what icon to display for a bundle, what document types an app supports, and many other behaviors that have an impact outside the bundle itself.
For better knowledge about this you can see this link:-
https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/general/Reference/InfoPlistKeyReference/Introduction/Introduction.html
I think the user who asked this already got these things,Hope this will help other Users.
Thanks.
I have created an xcode project. Now I want to give .app file to my friend to use that application. From where do I get this file? How to install this .app file in his Applications folder using an installer package?
You can find the .app file here:
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/{app name}/Build/Products/Deployment/
Credit for the path location goes to this answer
SIDENOTE: I had a lot of fun trying to get this into my iPad after that. It worked however. Using Snow Leopard + Xcode 4.2 + iPad with IOS 5.1.1 :) - I used the iPhone configuration utility to get the app into the ipad (you have to add the app, then click on the device, then click "install" behind the app you just added in the "application library" of iphone configuration utility) and had to create a Distribution Provisioning Profile and get the WWDR certificate and finally change the build settings in Xcode after all the certificates were in place. See here
But after much fun I am now looking at my first app on my iPad :) - btw, for getting apps into the app store you need to create a app store Distribution Provisioning Profile, while for ad hoc installs like these you create an ad hoc one. There is a bit more to it, but I think these are the most important and tricky steps. Enjoy.
PS. Just remembered that you also have to set the build type (top left of Xcode) to "iOS device", otherwise it will never sign your application. So the path name above only has limited value: yes, it will have the .app file in it, but no you can't upload it (at least not using the iPhone configuration utility) since it is not code signed - you will get an "Could not copy validate signature" error. So change it to "iOS device" and build (remember to select the right certificates in the build section of Xcode as per the url info above). In that same build section, you can also set the "Installation Build Products Location" to a different path, so that you can determine where the .app (the one that is properly code signed) ends up.
Xcode 12.5
Can be found in the following directory ->
~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/{app name}/Build/Products/{scheme}-iphonesimulator/{app name}.app
Build a release version, and the .app file is under build/Release folder of your project. Just copy it to Applications folder of your friend's machine. I don't think you need to build a installer.
xCode window tab
Organizer
Right click to the archive you want to get app
Show in finder
Right click to (ProductName….). xcarchive file
Show package contents
Products
Applications
Finally - THERE IS YOUR .APP PROJECT FILE !
The application will appear in your projects Build directory. In the source pane on the left of the Xcode window you should see a section called 'Products'. Listed under there will be your application name. If you right-click on this you can select 'Reveal in Finder' to be taken to the application in the Finder. You can send this to your friend directly and he can just copy it into his Applications folder. Most applications do not require an installer package on Mac OS X.
Under Xcode 4.5.2, you can find the .app file in this way:
Select Window > Organizer in the Xcode's menu(or just press 'Shift+Command+2')
Select your project on the left side of Organizer, and you will find the Derived Data path on the right side. Just click the mini arrow in the end of the path, this will open Finder at the path.
In the Finder, click "Build > Products > Release", you will find the .app.
I know as for Appium Mobile Automation you need .app file to run ios app on Simulator.So as like me many of you face this problem.
So I explain how to create that .app file and where it is located.
1.Open Xcode.
2.Click on your sample project.(If you don't have then click on create new xcode project)
3.In left panel inside screen you will see products folder then click and expand that, you will see the list.
Then right click on .app file and click on Show in Finder and thats your .app file. Now you can copy or use that path in capabilities for appium desktop or in framework.
Xcode 8.1
Product -> Archive
Then export on the right hand side to somewhere on your drive.
In Xcode 7 a quick way is to use Product > Archive. It's probably not a signed copy for submission but it's good enough to give to somebody else for testing.
In the navigator (left pane), expand the group "Products" and right-click on the .app file and choose "Show in Finder". There it is! :)