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Re: command line tool: processing files dropped on it?
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Re: command line tool: processing files dropped on it?


  • Subject: Re: command line tool: processing files dropped on it?
  • From: Chris Hanson <email@hidden>
  • Date: Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:59:22 -0700

On Oct 1, 2008, at 3:46 AM, Barrie Green wrote:

I have a command line tool, written in c++,  that I use on my windows
machine, which allows me to drop files onto it. Windows ensures the
tool receives the paths of the files dropped through the argc/argv
arguments in main.

I have ported my tool over to OS X using xcode and created a command
line tool and all my tests work OK.

But I'm hampered by the fact that finder won't let me drag n drop
files onto my tool! I can't even use it from the "Open With" Context
menu in finder.

Unlike Windows, on the Mac a command-line tool and an application are conceptually different entities. You'll need to actually wrap your tool in a proper bundle structure with an Info.plist and main nib file. Your resulting application also will not be passed dropped/ opened files via argc and argv; instead, it will be sent events to open the files which your application delegate will have to handle.


That said, it shouldn't be hard to create a simple wrapper application around your command-line tool. In fact, there's example code on the Apple Developer Connection web site that shows how to do this:

  Moriarity
  http://developer.apple.com/samplecode/Moriarity/index.html

I'm sure i've seen other (OS X) tools process files like this,
although I can't remember which.

Is there a way of getting this to work? Or is this just a difference
between platforms that requires a rewrite?

The latter, but it doesn't necessarily require a rewrite, just wrapping an application around your command-line tool. You can even keep them "physically" separate on disk, by putting the tool inside your application's bundle structure and invoking it via NSTask as the Moriarity example shows.


  -- Chris

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References: 
 >command line tool: processing files dropped on it? (From: "Barrie Green" <email@hidden>)

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