Stacks inside OSX Package

[Tereza Snyder]

On Jul 12, 2008, at 3:30 PM, Sivakatirswami wrote:

> I know that many know this already, but because newbies may not...
>
> I just did my first standalone where I added a data stack (where  
> data is saved) right inside the standalone package on OSX.

Here's a technique that I use that takes it to the next level:

When you build your standalone on MacOS X, the 'executable' is inside  
'MacOS' inside 'Contents'. As you put it:

> MyStandAlone.app
>   /Contents
>     /MacOS
>        MyStandAlone # this is the *real* standalone inside the package

Instead of putting 'MyDataStack.rev' next to 'MyStandalone' in  
'MacOS', create a new folder in 'Contents' called whatever you want,  
or use 'Resources' like other apps do and put MyDataStack.rev in it.  
Like so:


MyStandAlone.app
   /Contents
     /MacOS
        MyStandAlone # this is the *real* standalone inside the package
      /Resources
         MyDataStack.rev


Go one step farther and make subdirectories in 'Resources' to hold  
stuff your application needs:

MyStandAlone.app
   /Contents
     /MacOS
        MyStandAlone # this is the *real* standalone inside the package
      /Resources
         MyDataStack.rev
        /Images
        /Texts
        /Sounds



Now here's the good part. Create another folder in 'Contents' and call  
it 'Win32' and put your Windows standalone in it:

MyStandAlone.app
   /Contents
     /MacOS
        MyStandAlone # this is the *real* standalone inside the package
      /Resources
         MyDataStack.rev
        /Images
        /Texts
        /Sounds
     /Win32
        MyStandalone.exe  # another *real* standalone inside the package


If you still make standalones for Classic, you can do that too:

MyStandAlone.app
   /Contents
     /MacOS
        MyStandAlone # this is the *real* standalone inside the package
      /Resources
         MyDataStack.rev
        /Images
        /Texts
        /Sounds
     /Win32
        MyStandalone.exe  # another *real* standalone inside the package
     /Classic
        MyStandAlone # yet another *real* standalone inside the package


What does this do for you?
  - Lets you distribute a single package for all platforms that has  
only *one* copy of MyDataStack and all those images, texts, and sounds.
  - Lets you drag that package to your multi-platform network.  
Everything goes with it.
  - Lets you standardize your paths relative to MyDataStack. Set the  
default directory to 'Resources' and you're done. Never worry about  
whether you have to dodge around 'Contents' again on one platform and  
not on the other(s).
  - Lets you put stuff that's specific to the OS (like externals) next  
to the executables in the proper folders for the executables; and put  
stuff, like MyDataStack, that pertain strictly to your application in  
a single, separate place. Conceptual purity at last!
  - While you're developing, you can keep MyDataStack.rev next to / 
Images, /Texts, and /Sounds in your development folder and use the  
same path logic in both Development and Standalone.

But, you say, what about Windows? You can't double-click an app in  
Windows! Create, or have your installer create, a shortcut outside  
the .app folder to the executable. Put that shortcut in the start menu  
with all the other shortcuts to applications. Or on the desktop. Or  
wherever.

It works!

t








-- 
Tereza Snyder
Califex Software, Inc.