Re: Thoughts on Cocoa source code
Re: Thoughts on Cocoa source code
- Subject: Re: Thoughts on Cocoa source code
- From: Richard Charles via Cocoa-dev <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2019 11:50:10 -0600
> On Oct 9, 2019, at 11:19 AM, Turtle Creek Software via Cocoa-dev
> <email@hidden> wrote:
>
> Why is Cocoa source code hidden?
Because Apple does not want to expose Cocoa source source. It is proprietary
software.
> Many of the frustrations we had with the 64-bit update attempt were caused
> by Cocoa's lack of visible source. It was a "black box" that often required
> trial-and-error to figure out. Yeah, the headers are visible, and Apple has
> info online. But sometimes that was not sufficient to understand the actual
> implementation details.
>
> When debugging, the stack trace inside Cocoa was just a bunch of
> rarely-helpful Assembly. No way to set breakpoints inside Cocoa classes, or
> step through their C code. More mysteries and headaches.
I agree reading assembly is horrid. Did you know that you can set a symbolic
breakpoint on code inside the Cocoa frameworks? You can also swizzle a
framework method to gain insight into what Apple is doing. You can also examine
Cocotron source code for insight into what maybe going on behind the scenes.
> I personally learned C++ while using the PowerPlant library from
> Metrowerks. Its source files were totally exposed. Seeing comments and code
> really helped. When designing or debugging, it was possible to step through
> their code and see exactly how it functioned. Cocoa would be so much
> easier to use if its source was accessible like that.
>
> In fact, why isn't Cocoa open source? Apple open-sources Swift and the
> Darwin kernel. Surely the GUI can't be any riskier to expose to developers?
Perhaps Apple does not want to give away the Crown Jewels.
--Richard Charles
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