Re: Why Cocoa source code isn't open? [terribly OT]
Re: Why Cocoa source code isn't open? [terribly OT]
- Subject: Re: Why Cocoa source code isn't open? [terribly OT]
- From: email@hidden
- Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 19:30:23 -0800
Why are Cocoa frameworks NOT open for public review?
Oy. Well, I'd love for them to be. When I worked at Apple, having
access to the AppKit sources was a *huge* boon to bug-finding and
subclassing and all sorts of things. I miss that a lot.
But I wouldn't do it if I were Apple. Cocoa is an amazing asset to
Apple -- it is their ace in the hole. Or so I think. Comparing it to
PowerPlant, MacApp, etc. is not really doing it justice, IMHO. And so
I'd keep it close to my chest if I were them.
I would guess that the other big benefit to Apple is that it
effectively prevents most developers from relying on implementation
details, private API, etc. Some hacking and reverse-engineering still
goes on, but Apple can shift their internal implementation of something
relatively smoothly without breaking too many people. If everybody had
access to the source, this would inevitably cease to be so easy.
I think the real solution to the problems you cite is better
documentation. Apple really needs to get on the ball in this
department. I don't think very many people at Apple really understand
what the situation is like for external developers trying to figure out
Cocoa.
This seems like a terribly academic discussion in any case; I'm sure
the idea has already occurred to Apple, and I'm equally sure a debate
here won't make a whit of difference. :->
Ben Haller
Stick Software
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