GSWrapper.app (Re: StepTalk script to set app wrappers in Dock.app)

[Raffael Herzog]

On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 22:38:45 +0100, Frederico Muñoz <fsmunoz@gesal.org>  
wrote:

> One of the things that have been bugging me in the GWorkspace Dock.app  
> (that I've been suing extensively) is the fact that applications  
> launched trough App Wrappers don't behave properly due to the missing  
> notifications.

I'm currently working on GSWrapper.app. It provides:

- A GUI for creating app wrappers, including setting icons via drag and  
drop and defining file types.
- Scripts for start, start and open, open and eventually more, e.g.  
activate
- Services to create and edit wrappers from within GWorkspace

What exactly does it do? It's GNUstep application that starts a  
non-GNUstep application using NSTask and monitors it. Its delegate listens  
to applicationDidFinishLaunching:, application:openFile(s): and runs the  
shell scripts accordingly.

Currently, it suppresses the AppIcon and cedes the emulation of the  
AppIcon to WindowMaker. However, I have further plans here: Intercept Xlib  
to track the UNIX appliation's windows to allow the wrapper to take some  
control over them. This can be used to a full AppIcon emulation and to  
implement delegate messages like applicationWillBecomeActive: or  
applicationWillHide: without WindowMaker and also from the Dock. I'm not  
sure whether this is doable, but initial research has shown that it is --  
at least for X11 based backends.

Unfortunately, development has stalled because of a segfault originating  
somewhere within gnustep-gui. Because I'm not able to build -base and -gui  
with debugging enabled (I'm getting compiler errors), I can't get a useful  
backtrace. I'll try again with the new releases when real life allows me  
to do so. The wrapper basically works, but it can't open existing wrappers  
for editing. Still, Sascha Erni and me are using it extensively in its  
current state.

I know, I should do a release to concentrate this whole application  
wrapping thing in one project, albeit this segfault ("release early,  
release often"). I'll do so as soon as Euro2004 leaves me some time. ;)

cu,
   Raffi (Abnaxos in #gnustep)

--
The difference between theory and practice is that in theory, there is no  
difference, but in practice, there is.

Raffael Herzog - herzog@raffael.ch - www.raffael.ch - ICQ #67961355