[not quite OT] Serving a standalone

[Richard Gaskin]

William Prothero wrote:

 > Richard:
 > This sounds like a great way to go!

And it has the best feature of all: it's fun to make. :)


 > I think I’m getting that the “Splash” app downloads the executables
 > and whatever media is needed, and then these are erased at the end
 > of the session, so that new ones are downloaded each session? Or is
 > it done more like the browser cache, where it can be emptied
 > manually, or regularly, and then new stuff is downloaded if updates
 > are available.

It's up to you.  By default standalones can read/write locally, so you 
could maintain a cache in App Support.  Or if you need the additional 
security and are willing to require more download time, you could have 
things come over fresh each time.

The nice thing about doing this in LiveCode is that you control the 
cache, not the browser, so you can make whatever choices work for your 
needs.


 > I’m wondering, though, if the future that Apple has in mind is the
 > iOS-ification of the Mac OS so that sandboxing and downloading of
 > added executables is not allowed. Kay made this comment previously.
 > Just wondering.

After the unpredictable and unprecedented iOS SDK v4 Section 3.3.1 
fiasco many years ago, there's no telling what Apple might do at any time.

With Windows still holding more than 85% of the market, and being just a 
checkbox away for us LiveCode developers, it's not hard to hedge our 
bets with multi-platform coverage.  Heck, not doing so is just walking 
away from a majority of potential revenue.

Even in this era of consumer and investor frenzy for all things Apple, 
their current global desktop market share is about 8%, below the 11% 
peak they enjoyed in the mid-90s.  Apps make the OS world go 'round; I'd 
like to believe they understand they're in no position be as strident 
with desktop policies as they've been in mobile, where their market 
share is also declining for all form factors.

So for now consumers and the loyal developers who serve them still have 
the freedom to choose the Mac app store, or not.

And if you choose to be among those who sell outside the Mac app store, 
you're in pretty good company - apparently Bare Bones Software has 
joined other devs in leaving the Mac app store, citing numerous reasons:
<http://www.mcelhearn.com/bare-bones-pulling-bbedit-from-mac-app-store/>

In one of the very few cases where Gruber has written anything that 
doesn't read like Apple PR, he takes exception with Apple's app store 
cut on in-app purchasing, calling it "Dirty Percent":
<http://daringfireball.net/2011/03/dirty_percent>

The Benefits of Selling Software outside the Mac App Store
<http://dancounsell.com/articles/the-benefits-of-selling-software-outside-the-mac-app-store>

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Systems
  Software Design and Development for the Desktop, Mobile, and the Web
  ____________________________________________________________________
  Ambassador at FourthWorld.com                http://www.FourthWorld.com