New topic: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?
<http://forums.realsoftware.com/viewtopic.php?t=27991> Page 1 of 1 [ 9 posts ] Previous topic | Next topic Author Message gberz3 Post subject: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 8:07 pm Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:40 pm Posts: 404 Hi All, I'm in the process of creating an application that performs database backups. currently I have one large GUI application that manually triggers said backups. I'm looking, however, to split this out and create a cross-platform application that allows for scheduling, etc. So far, I've spec'd it out to be two separate applications -- a GUI "setup/management" application, and a background "supervisor" service that reads from a local "scheduling" SQLite DB. I'm looking for any design suggestions as well as gotchas on the various platforms. I'd like the application to be a "tray" app on all platforms. From what I understand, this is possible only in Windows and Linux. However, I'm curious as to whether it is also possible on the Mac via an icon in the Menu Bar (a la "Airport", "Displays", "Volume", "Spaces", "Quicksilver", etc). Again, feel free to post any suggestions regarding both architecture and gotchas -- whether it be related to creating quality cross-platform services, or general presentation. Much appreciated. Top Bessie Post subject: Re: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 12:13 am Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:53 am Posts: 508 gberz3 wrote:I'd like the application to be a "tray" app on all platforms. From what I understand, this is possible only in Windows and Linux. In a sense, every program is a "tray app" on the Mac. By that, I mean, every running app will have an icon in the dock. On the Mac, you can close every single window, but as long as the app is still running, it will still have an icon in the dock, and the user can still interact with it through that icon - perhaps causing it to open new windows. I'm also writing a program that needs to continue running after the last window is closed, and which needs to offer the user the ability to open new windows after that has happened. I find that on the Mac it "just works", and only for Windows will I have to start messing about with tray icons to achieve the same functionality. _________________ No thanks, I don't want to buy any plugins. Top gberz3 Post subject: Re: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 12:54 am Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:40 pm Posts: 404 Bessie wrote:In a sense, every program is a "tray app" on the Mac. By that, I mean, every running app will have an icon in the dock. Yes, however, I'd like to represent the application in the menu bar (the top area where date, volume, battery life,airport,vpn, etc. are found), not the dock. Actually something like Quicksilver -- where the option is given for dock or menu bar -- would be preferable. I'm just not sure how to achieve that from RB. Last edited by gberz3 on Tue May 12, 2009 12:55 am, edited 1 time in total. Top dglass Post subject: Re: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 12:54 am Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2005 9:29 am Posts: 461 Location: California Bessie wrote:In a sense, every program is a "tray app" on the Mac. By that, I mean, every running app will have an icon in the dock. On the Mac, you can close every single window, but as long as the app is still running, it will still have an icon in the dock, No, there are many applications that run as menu items, and only appear in the menu bar across the top of the screen. A great many preference panes allow this option; Displays, Airport, Volume, and Power come to mind and usually have similar System Tray items on Windows. The Dock functions like a combination of the Windows Task Bar (temporary home to running application's icons) and Quick Launch Area (permanent home to application shortcuts), and the Menu Bar is similar to the System Tray. Top dglass Post subject: Re: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 12:58 am Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2005 9:29 am Posts: 461 Location: California gberz3 wrote:Yes, however, I'd like to represent the application in the Menu Bar (the top area where date, volume, battery life, etc. are found), not the dock. Actually something like Quicksilver -- where the option is given for dock or menu bar -- would be preferable. I'm just not sure how to achieve that from RB. Turning off the Dock icon for your app is a plist setting. I'm sure there's a post in here somewhere that details it. Probably a search on "Hide Dock Icon" or something similar will unearth it. The Menu Bar icon thing can be done with declares, or the MBS plugins have functions for it. There was just a short thread on this not more than a couple of days ago. I don't remember the title, but Christian and Bob Keeney posted in it so that might help you narrow the search down. EDIT: Here's the thread about the menu item: Menuitem (like Airport) Top Bessie Post subject: Re: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 1:15 am Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:53 am Posts: 508 gberz3 wrote:Actually something like Quicksilver -- where the option is given for dock or menu bar -- would be preferable.Yes, that would be perfect. Personally, I hate seeing too much clutter in the menu bar, and I dislike programs which put stuff there, when I'd much rather they had dock icons. (You can't drag menuitem icons off the menu to trash them, for one thing, nor can you "Show in Finder", nor "Force Quit", etc., so with menuitem icons I feel like I'm not in control). But if you're going to offer the choice, well then that really is the best of all worlds. _________________ No thanks, I don't want to buy any plugins. Top gberz3 Post subject: Re: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 1:28 am Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:40 pm Posts: 404 Excellent. I'll give the declares a look. Thanks for that. Have you any suggestions/input as far as creating two separate apps vs a single (occasionally faceless) app? I would backups to occur even if no user is logged in, so I'm guessing I'll *have* to go with two apps (a GUI and a service). But, if you've got any additional input, I'm all ears. Thanks again. Top gberz3 Post subject: Re: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 1:31 am Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:40 pm Posts: 404 [quote="Bessie"(You can't drag menuitem icons off the menu to trash them, for one thing, nor can you "Show in Finder", nor "Force Quit", etc., so with menuitem icons I feel like I'm not in control)[/quote] Actually if you CMD+drag you can remove most items from the menubar. As for the other options, I'm sure you could simply create a menu item for the particular functionality -- even a "Force Quit" of sorts. But I understand what you're saying about clutter. Top Bessie Post subject: Re: Designing cross-platform GUI+Service applications...?Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 2:27 am Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:53 am Posts: 508 dglass wrote:The Dock functions like a combination of the Windows Task Bar (temporary home to running application's icons) and Quick Launch Area (permanent home to application shortcuts), and the Menu Bar is similar to the System Tray. I think that's a simplification, and not quite right. There are many applications - for example, Miro, the BBC iPlayer, Firefox, Juice, and (famously) iTunes, which use a tray icon on Windows, but a Dock icon (not a menubar icon) on the Mac. I think they're absolutely right to do so. If Windows had a dock, Windows apps wouldn't need to use the tray icon. I like the dock. I have this feeling that the dock is mine. I can drag icons around to re-order them; I can show in Finder and then drag the app to a flash drive or another machine to run it there. Programs which sneakily disappear from the dock are programs which I can no longer interact with on my terms, and I simply don't like that. Programs which add icon clutter to the menubar feel like they're digging their hooks into my operating system, and frankly, if they're not controlling some piece of hardware then they shouldn't be there. That's just a personal opinion, of course. gberz3 has said they want to offer the user the choice of dock or menuitem - and of course, that's perfect, because no one can complain about that. _________________ No thanks, I don't want to buy any plugins. Top Display posts from previous: All posts1 day7 days2 weeks1 month3 months6 months1 year Sort by AuthorPost timeSubject AscendingDescending Page 1 of 1 [ 9 posts ] -- Over 900 classes with 18000 functions in one REALbasic plug-in. The Monkeybread Software Realbasic Plugin v8.1. <http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/realbasic/plugins.shtml> [email protected]
