macOS Backwards Compatibility between new OSs (10.7) and Older Ones (10.6)

[Littleodie914]

This is the first time I've had to "migrate" an app from one version of Mac OS X to another. In the past, I had been compiling an app on 10.5. Everybody on 10.5 used it. When I started compiling for 10.6 (I waited until 10.6.3), I dropped support for 10.5, easy squeezy.

Is there a common method for developers to implement new features for OS N, while still maintaining compatibility in the same binary for OS N-1?

I want to avoid adding Lion features (full-screen mode, etc.) if there's no way for those apps to also run under Snow Leopard. How do developers handle this?

Thanks! 🙂

 

[Blakeasd]

#if MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET == MAC_OS_X_VERSION_10_7

//Lion stuff

#else

 //Snow Leopard stuff

#endif

or

#if MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET < MAC_OS_X_VERSION_10_7
if (![someObject respondsToSelector:@selector
(LionFeatureMethod:)])
{
    // Pre 10.7 stuff here
}
else
#endif
{
    // 10.7 stuff here
}

 

[ShortCutMan]

The above won't work in the same binary since the preprocessor operations are done at compile time. However using respondsToSelector: is what I have seen in reference to supporting multiple versions of iOS.

 

[robbieduncan]

Apple have some handy documentation...

 

[Littleodie914]

Apple have some handy documentation...

That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks 🙂