Code in macOS Catalina Suggests Apple is Working on Catalyst Versions of Messages and Shortcuts for Mac

[MacRumors]

Apple appears to be working on full Project Catalyst versions of Messages and Shortcuts for Mac, according to hints of the new apps found by developer Steve Troughton-Smith.

Hidden Shortcuts for Mac code running on macOS Catalina, via Steve Troughton-Smith​

Last, Troughton-Smith found that the Project Catalyst software on macOS Catalina includes Shortcuts frameworks suggesting a future Shortcuts for Mac app, and now it appears Apple is also working on a Catalyst version of the Messages app.

There is a whole lot of evidence in Catalina that they're working on a full, Catalyst version of Messages, much like Shortcuts for Mac. So, just like Shortcuts, I decided to cut to the chase and do it myself by calling the system frameworks. Voilà pic.twitter.com/IsXKrGpemd - Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) June 19, 2019

Much of the UIKit Messages app is functional on macOS, using the native Catalyst UI from the macOS Catalina system frameworks. iMessage Effects, for example, are functional.

And, just for reference: this isn't a 'marzipanified' version of the Messages app from the iOS Simulator. This is the 'native' Catalyst UI coming from the macOS 10.15 system frameworks. Just like Shortcuts, it's all there, and mostly works if you know how to talk to it pic.twitter.com/VO59kPbbVY - Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) June 19, 2019

iMessage Effects! pic.twitter.com/e6VM0xa6g4 - Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) June 19, 2019

Apple made no mention of an overhauled Messages app or bringing Shortcuts to Mac when introducing macOS Catalina, so these features could be reserved for a future Catalina release that's perhaps coming later in the year.

Article Link: Code in macOS Catalina Suggests Apple is Working on Catalyst Versions of Messages and Shortcuts for Mac

 

[Andres Cantu]

I use iMessage a lot in macOS, so that's pretty neat. Bring on the feature parity.

Not sure about Shortcuts though, how that would affect Automator.

 

[martyjmclean]

Good! Messages needs an overhaul. Shortcuts will be nice too. I don’t think people should be worried it’ll replace Automator, otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered with proper Finder integration.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

This is all very good. For a while I've felt that iOS gets all the attention and macOS and its apps sometimes feel neglected or feel like afterthoughts. This is going to change that.

 

[drumcat]

My query is whether the Most Recent Message preview in the contact list will finally show whether the message text is yours or theirs. It's a bug that has persisted for a decade.

Most systems do something like a `You:` proceeding messages that originated from you. It would help a lot.

 

[JetTester]

Good! It will be interesting to see some Apple-created apps using Catalyst, so we can see what their vision for it is.

 

[dogslobber]

Project Marzipan is just a glorified Electron framework. I refuse to run such garbage apps as Electron ones as I would rather run flash apps. Native apps only, Apple, or you'll set a terrible precedent here.

 

[Glockworkorange]

Oh, I hope to. Messages stutters, stalls and causes the fans to go crazy when first opening it on MacOS. It’s hooked to my office’s Exchange servers and there are thousands and thousands of contacts and I think that’s why it stutters. It’s fine on iOS.

 

[cardfan]

Doesn’t sound promising in that these will be limited iOS like apps.

 

[ProwlingTiger]

Project Marzipan is just a glorified Electron framework. I refuse to run such garbage apps as Electron ones as I would rather run flash apps. Native apps only, Apple, or you'll set a terrible precedent here.

Rather run flash apps? What year are we in? Wha?!

If Catalyst works well and there are no major problems, what's the big deal? Suddenly the Mac is filled with apps and developers, paving the way (hopefully) toward ARM Macs.

 

[mariusignorello]

Aside from message effects, why bring the iOS version of Messages to Mac? What’s really wrong with it?

Now, Shortcuts I can understand.

 

[TheSkywalker77]

I'm excited for the possible Messages redesign. I use Messages on my Mac almost as much as I do on my iPhone and I'm really excited to see what it'll be like.

Shortcuts I rarely use. So I won't touch that.

 

[Cosmosent]

This should come as NO surprise.

The ONLY way they can flush out the Bugs is to build apps themselves !

 

[BWhaler]

Go Mac go.

This attention is long overdue.

 

[fairuz]

Project Marzipan is just a glorified Electron framework. I refuse to run such garbage apps as Electron ones as I would rather run flash apps. Native apps only, Apple, or you'll set a terrible precedent here.

In what way is this non-native? The binaries are compiled for x86, and the frameworks are built into the OS, right? Electron is Javascript scum.

 

[dogslobber]

In what way is this non-native? The binaries are compiled for x86, and the frameworks are built into the OS, right? Electron is Javascript scum.

The jury is still out.

 

[fairuz]

Rather run flash apps? What year are we in? Wha?!

If Catalyst works well and there are no major problems, what's the big deal? Suddenly the Mac is filled with apps and developers, paving the way (hopefully) toward ARM Macs.

This has nothing to do with ARM, unless there's some CPU emulation going on, which I doubt.
[doublepost=1560994741][/doublepost]

The jury is still out.

Then it sounds like you're quick to judge (heh) if you say you refuse to participate.

 

[dogslobber]

Then it sounds like you're quick to judge (heh) if you say you refuse to participate.

Stocks in Catalina beta 1 had a big dirty memory leak - 2.8g before I killed. Jury is still out.

 

[cashxx]

Need messages as an option in iCloud to compete against Googles solution!

 

[Junior117]

Welp, goodbye Automator.

 

[ra.skill]

Just hurry up and bring Android support so I can get rid of all my messaging apps.

 

[Bearxor]

The real goodness is in one of his recent blog posts...

https://www.highcaffeinecontent.com...g-an-ARM-iOS-App-to-Intel-macOS-Using-Bitcode

Stuff like

> you can statically translate binaries between Intel and ARM if they include Bitcode. It really works!

and

> Apple could use Bitcode to translate every Bitcode-enabled app on the Mac App Store, without consulting developers, so it would be ready to go on day one. This kind of power means Apple needn’t preannounce an ARM switch a year ahead of time, and also means a technology like Rosetta may be completely unnecessary this time round.

 

[ccsicecoke]

Wow it's so ugly my first glimps just reminded me windows 10

 

[Lyoha]

Project Marzipan is just a glorified Electron framework. I refuse to run such garbage apps as Electron ones as I would rather run flash apps. Native apps only, Apple, or you'll set a terrible precedent here.

Electron is basically a chrome-less Chromium browser rendering a web app inside. Project Catalyst is rendering natively on macOS but using the UIKit API rather than AppKit API. Both UI kits are using Cocoa underneath the surface AFAIK. Sure, the current design of Catalyst/Marzipan apps is garbage, but it is native and has absolutely nothing to do with Electron. Finally, how is Flash relevant at all in this conversation?

 

[Cozmosis]

Wonder if this would fix the long standing CPU crushing soagent bug with Messages.