Project Catalyst: UIKit on the Mac is finally here!

We held a WWDC Recap event at my company's office where several of the attendees to WWDC presented on what they learned while they were over in America.

I presented on Project Catalyst, Apple's new initiative to bring iPad apps to macOS. I explained how we got to this point, and what some of its current limitations and work arounds are.

Transcript

1. Project Catalyst:
   UIKit on the Mac is finally here!
   Tim Oliver
   iOS Product Engineer (JP)
   

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2. In the beginning…
   

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5. Darwin (Kernel)
   libSystem
   Foundation
   Core Graphics
   Core Animation
   AppKit UIKit
   

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6. AppKit (1994) UIKit (2005)
   • 2 completely separate eras in Apple’s life
   • UIKit improved upon what was in AppKit
   • The concepts can be remarkably different
   • It’s not easy to share code between platforms
   • It’s not easy for UIKit engineers to transition to AppKit
   • macOS misses out on a lot of great software
   

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7. chameleonproject.org
   

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10. It’s 2019 now!
    

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11. It’s 2019 now!
    

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13. Demo
    

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14. Key Takeaways
    • Still just an iOS app. Adjusts for macOS.
    • Resizable windows means ANY screen size.
    • Provides hooks into AppKit. No direct access.
    • Scaled down to 77% screen size for parity.
    • All elements look like iOS by default.
    • Precompiled binaries need to be recompiled
    for `UIKitForMacOS`.
    

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15. Provides hooks into AppKit. 

    No direct access?
    • Can use UIKit scenes to create
    copies of UIKit windows.
    • No way to create NSWindow
    objects officially.
    • Is it possible to make a UIKit/AppKit
    hybrid?
    

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16. Using AppKit Bundles!
    Beyond the Checkbox with Catalyst and AppKit
    Steve Troughton-Smith - highcaffeinecontent.com
    

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17. Summary
    • Check ‘Mac’ in Xcode to begin!
    • Change view settings for native
    macOS appearance.
    • Re-consider design of elements
    that do not look native.
    • Consider using NSWindow when
    necessary.
    • Make some great apps!
    

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18. Thanks for watching! ✌
    @TimOliverAU TimOliver
    

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