All Segments
Segments Timeline
Introduction to Catalyst
Peter Steinberger introduces the topic of Catalyst, discussing its evolution from Marzipan and its significance for Mac app development. He sets the stage for exploring the pros and cons of using Catalyst, emphasizing the importance of adapting to new technologies in the Apple ecosystem.
"good afternoon everyone shipping a Mack catalyst step wait wasn't it just called marzipan a year ago what about you I kit for Mack and why would anyone even care about that not that we have swift UI w..."
The Need for Catalyst
Steinberger shares his background and the motivation behind developing a Mac app using Catalyst. He highlights user feedback for split-screen functionality and the demand for a Mac version of their PDF viewer, explaining the challenges of adapting existing iOS code for macOS.
"references so first of all Who am I why do I care so much about catalyst my name is Peter steinberger I'm started on Twitter and I live in Vienna Austria around 10 years ago I founded a company called..."
Understanding Catalyst's Promise
In this segment, Steinberger discusses the promise of Catalyst to bridge UIKit concepts to macOS. He explains the differences in user interface design between iOS and macOS, emphasizing the need for careful adaptation when transitioning apps to the Mac platform.
"solutions build some shim that add things on the on the NS classes and and then you can like reuse your code and Apple actually made it really really easy over the years they narrow that gap with the ..."
Catalyst's Evolution and Challenges
Steinberger reflects on the history of Catalyst, mentioning its initial name, Marzipan, and the lack of resources from Apple during its launch. He discusses the challenges developers face, including the absence of sample projects and the need for a solid understanding of both UIKit and AppKit.
"this is just the beginning one important thing to mention if you have anything that's deprecated for example you I love you these things are simply not there on catalyst however if you take good care ..."
Choosing the Right Technology
This segment covers the decision-making process for developers when choosing between AppKit, Catalyst, and SwiftUI. Steinberger provides insights into when to use each technology based on the complexity of the UI and the existing codebase, encouraging developers to consider their specific needs.
"actually got the production version of catalyst however Apple also didn't really spend time on it during the keynote swifty I got all the fame even the name catalyst was it last minute change internal..."
Adoption Rates and Security in Catalina
Steinberger discusses the adoption rates of macOS Catalina and its implications for developers. He highlights the importance of security in the new OS and the challenges posed by dropping support for 32-bit applications, emphasizing the need for developers to adapt quickly.
"movie references I would say swifty is kind of like the Austin Powers or frameworks you know it's a hot mess if you like to live dangerously but it's also incredibly fun and it's likely the future now..."
The Rush to Submit Apps
In this segment, Steinberger shares his experience of the frantic last-minute preparations to submit their app to the Mac App Store. He recounts the challenges faced during the submission process and the excitement of finally getting featured in ads.
"really fast just see this graph and I was 12 it only took four for 80% adoption rate which is insanely fast this is really really good and of course I researching it's not out long enough to actually ..."
Designing for Catalyst
Steinberger emphasizes the importance of adapting app design for Catalyst. He discusses the limitations of Catalyst compared to AppKit and shares practical tips for creating a user-friendly interface, including the use of sidebars and toolbars to enhance the user experience.
"our ABS so we've been scrambling last week to get anything out I was in Poland and I've told everyone to like hold their tongues they didn't hold it strong enough so 51 minutes after we already got re..."
Integrating AppKit with UIKit
Steinberger explains how to integrate AppKit components into UIKit applications, particularly focusing on toolbar functionalities. He discusses the challenges and solutions for using Objective-C to bridge the two frameworks effectively.
"matchup I mean of course there's more things to do but you can get to this really really fast and speaking toolbars Epke test quite a sophisticated tool bar system you'll know it it has an integrated ..."
Search Functionality Challenges
In this segment, Steinberger discusses the absence of a native search toolbar item in Catalyst and the workaround using AppKit. He highlights the complexities of mixing UIKit and AppKit elements and the implications for developers.
"item item groups the same as in advocate now challenge for you if we're looking at our toolbar there's one thing that shouldn't be there is anybody here on stage who tried catalyst and has an idea wha..."
Cursor Management in Catalyst
Steinberger dives into cursor management in macOS applications, explaining the flexibility of AppKit's cursor API and the limitations faced in Catalyst. He shares insights on how to dynamically control cursors within a Catalyst app.
"with a view property and view takes an actual NS view so you could snap anything in there and that of course is a little bit of a problem because NS view is the app killed world U of U is the UI world..."
Creating Bundles for AppKit Code
This segment reveals how developers can create bundles to include additional AppKit code in their Catalyst apps. Steinberger provides a step-by-step guide on loading and utilizing AppKit features within a UIKit context.
"over a link or if you have a text it it reacts to the content if you don't do that you have to feel really really really weird and to control the cursor apke test the Anna's cursor API no it's not my ..."
Implementing Search Bars
Steinberger explains the process of implementing search bars in Catalyst apps by leveraging AppKit's capabilities. He discusses the integration of search functionality and the importance of user interaction in the design.
"small trick there because Swift doesn't really like that so we have to go through objective-c with one line call the principal class called a lock-in it on it and then we get back and Objective C inte..."
Building Menus in Catalyst
In this segment, Steinberger outlines the new APIs available for creating menus in Catalyst applications. He emphasizes the importance of keyboard events and the responder chain for effective menu management.
"moving on because we don't have much time we also need to figure out the menu bar and Apple actually spend significant time to give us a nice API for the menu you know for the tool body just like here..."
Handling Open Recent Functionality
Steinberger discusses the challenges of implementing 'Open Recent' functionality in Catalyst apps. He shares insights on creating dynamic menu items and managing file icons, highlighting the need for modern APIs in app development.
"automatically disable the menu now we know how to create a menu but the most important thing in a document based makeup is open and especially open recent that's really just about the makeup if you do..."
Security Scoped Bookmarks Explained
Steinberger dives into the intricacies of security scoped bookmarks in Catalyst apps, detailing the steps necessary to manage permissions and access files securely. He emphasizes the importance of entitlements and the potential pitfalls developers may encounter if they overlook these critical aspects.
"so it'll be fine right so let's use it what the hell am I looking at you're looking at an exception because it's actually not available it just didn't didn't tell us that in the header and let me ran ..."
Mixing UIKit and AppKit
In this segment, Steinberger discusses the process of mixing UIKit and AppKit to enhance functionality in Catalyst apps. He shares his approach to creating a seamless experience while navigating the challenges of compiling and accessing features that are exclusive to macOS.
"get the cg image ref and transfer that and then just create a new you image beautiful now again I'm sorry we also need to deal with security scope bookmarks because we have sandboxing and we want to b..."
Creating Open Recent Menus
Steinberger reveals his journey to implement an 'Open Recent' menu in his Catalyst app, detailing the research and coding efforts required. He highlights the importance of community resources and the challenges of using private APIs to achieve desired functionality.
"an Iowa SAP I mean we are building in Mecca but we also building in Iowa said I know it's confusing but the compile is quite clear about it it looks for Iowa's and these properties that we need they'r..."
The Dark Temple of AppKit
This segment captures Steinberger's frustrations and breakthroughs as he navigates the complexities of AppKit to finalize the 'Open Recent' menu. He shares insights on the importance of understanding the underlying frameworks and the creative solutions he employed to overcome obstacles.
"was the pointer unlike this seems like a lot of work Kendall's not really helpful isn't there better way what to add kit apps too so maybe we go down what is this place it looks like the Temple of Doo..."
Finalizing the Catalyst App
Steinberger concludes his discussion by reflecting on the successful implementation of the 'Open Recent' menu and the challenges faced along the way. He emphasizes the importance of persistence and creativity in overcoming technical hurdles, leaving viewers with insights into the development process for Catalyst apps.
"surprisingly difficult and eventually he gets to open recent and he posts this important snippet that will convert your regular open recent menu into this magical being that is automatically populated..."
Lessons Learned from Catalyst Development
Steinberger summarizes key takeaways from his experience with Catalyst, including the history of the platform, effective use cases, and the importance of understanding AppKit bundles. He emphasizes the power of Catalyst and the potential it holds for developers, encouraging others to explore its capabilities.
"have to do now there was still one question is this actually allowed and I'm not talking about travel API you can hide that if you know what you're doing this is fine I'm talking about taking an app k..."
The Reality of Developing with Catalyst
During a Q&A session, Steinberger addresses concerns about the stability and future of Catalyst. He discusses the challenges faced during development, the importance of filing bugs, and the potential for Catalyst to evolve, while also acknowledging the frustrations developers may encounter.
"the power of this watch or in our case app kit thank you very much French kids thank you thank you very much we have just a short time for questions records anyway so it seems that you feel a lot of r..."
Technical Insights on Catalyst Frameworks
In this segment, Steinberger dives into the technical aspects of Catalyst, discussing the limitations of using iOS frameworks and the challenges of integrating third-party libraries. He provides insights into the current state of Catalyst and its compatibility with existing Mac frameworks, offering a realistic view of the development landscape.
"yeah your flock and I wanted to know like you decided to I do some some really tricky combinations of the code to actually access the to develop the things the functionality you want but aren't you af..."