Re:How Apple Cheats
by 300bps on Wednesday May 28, 2014 @08:13AM
(#7809496)
Having an unsupported API method is one level of "cheating". Hardcoding bundle names and only allowing certain applications to call your unsupported API method takes it to a new level.
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What if the code was just in an unreleased static lib that was linked to each app.
Isn't Apple allowed to make shared code for just its apps? Putting it in the supported frameworks is just an easier way to make sure that it eventually gets released for everyone -- otherwise lots of useful code might just languish inside apps and private libs.
> What if the code was just in an unreleased static lib that was linked to each app.
Then it would be fair game. Your argument ignores an important difference: app-space code - which every developer can do; and OS code exposed as private API - which only Apple can do.
We agree that Apple can write and distribute code for its own apps, and share between them. What does it matter what the technical details are? Doing it the way that they do uses less memory -- that's better for users.
It's not feasible to extend the capability of creating and deploying OS frameworks to 3rd party developers.