Trick to make system preferences stay open when the window is closed?

[darbyclash34]

Is there any way to get system preferences to behave like most other apps, where closing the window does not close the application? Any terminal command or plist that can be modified? Not a huge issue, more so asking out of intellectual curiosity.

Shawn

 

[GGJstudios]

Is there any way to get system preferences to behave like most other apps, where closing the window does not close the application? Any terminal command or plist that can be modified? Not a huge issue, more so asking out of intellectual curiosity.

System Preferences, like Photo Booth, Disk Utility, Font Book and many other apps, is a single-window app. That means if you close the window, you close the app. There is no reason for such an app to keep running without the window. Only a multi-window app will remain running if you close all windows, such as Safari, TextEdit, Word, Excel, QuickTime, Terminal, etc. This is normal behavior.

 

[darbyclash34]

That makes total sense as to why those applications display that behavior. I suppose there wouldn't be a huge point to having multiple photobooths open.

I knew this was the normal behavior, I was more so just wondering if that was a setting hidden somewhere.

 

[GGJstudios]

I knew this was the normal behavior, I was more so just wondering if that was a setting hidden somewhere.

No, there isn't.

 

[macjram]

How about instead of Closing the window, you just "Hide" it?

Just a thought.

 

[darbyclash34]

Well, that would make total sense if apple's view on it didn't seem to shift around so much. System Preferences and Photo Booth only have one window. When you close that window, there is no other possible window to have open. Disk Utility closes if you close the main window. However, there is another window that can be opened, the disk utility log window. If that window is open, the application does not close, and continues running like most mac applications. If that behavior is followed, is there much sense in having iCal or Address Book continue running if there main window is closed? Or most any application for that matter? Maybe only certain apps should remain running when all of their windows are closed, such as Safari and Finder. Applications where there is not one defined main window, but where any window might be the primary focus at any given time? Just a thought.

 

[GGJstudios]

is there much sense in having iCal or Address Book continue running if there main window is closed? Or most any application for that matter? Maybe only certain apps should remain running when all of their windows are closed, such as Safari and Finder. Applications where there is not one defined main window, but where any window might be the primary focus at any given time? Just a thought.

Even if you don't have the iCal window open, you can still get alarms for scheduled events. You can have multiple Address Book windows open, like other multi-window apps. For apps like Safari, Preview, TextEdit, Finder, Word, etc., leaving the app running even with all windows closed will save time in opening a new window/document if you don't have to relaunch the app.