Re: Startup Items and usability
Re: Startup Items and usability
- Subject: Re: Startup Items and usability
- From: Brendan Younger <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 15:19:27 -0600
On Dec 30, 2004, at 3:06 PM, Edward Hillenbrand wrote:
Hi,
This is probably off topic, and I apologize, but I can't find a more
appropriate place to ask.
My application needs a helper application to launch at log in, it
won't function at all with out it. Should I silently add the helper
app to the users Startup Items or should I ask the user if it's okay
first. I've seen application do it both ways. The iCalAlarmScheduler
is added to the Startup Items silently, but applications like
Konfabulator ask the user if they want the app to start every time
they log in. As a developer I would want an application to ask first,
but that's because I care about what happens on my system, a user, on
the other hand, probably doesn't care. So what is the best approach?
My second question has to do with uninstallation. If the user drags
my app to the trash an item is left in the Startup Items. Although,
leaving an item in the Startup Items will not cause an error or any
problems, it still clutters up the user system. Should I make a note
on how to remove this item in the ReadMe or should I add a facility to
my app that would remove the item?
How have other developers handled this?
Are you sure that you can't just launch the helper application when the
user launches your application? If so, you can leave your helper app
in your main app's bundle which solves the whole uninstalling problem.
If the helper application absolutely must be launched at login, you
should probably check to see if it's a startup item, and, if not, tell
the user that you will be installing it as a startup item and that your
application will not function without it (of course allowing them say
no). For uninstalling, make sure to put the information in the
documentation and be certain that the helper application does
absolutely nothing if your application isn't running. You don't want
to be taking up any resources unnecessarily.
Brendan Younger
_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Cocoa-dev mailing list (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
This email sent to email@hidden