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https://github.com/beeware/briefcase-macos-app-template

A template for generating macOS app projects with Briefcase
https://github.com/beeware/briefcase-macos-app-template

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A template for generating macOS app projects with Briefcase

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README 

        
Briefcase macOS App Template

============================



A `Cookiecutter `__ template for

building Python apps that will run under macOS.



Using this template

-------------------



The easiest way to use this project is to not use it at all - at least, not

directly. `Briefcase `__ is a tool that

uses this template, rolling it out using data extracted from a

``pyproject.toml`` configuration file.



However, if you *do* want use this template directly...



1. Install `Cookiecutter `__. This

   is a tool used to bootstrap complex project templates::



    $ pip install cookiecutter



2. Run ``cookiecutter`` on the template::



    $ cookiecutter https://github.com/beeware/briefcase-macOS-app-template



   This will ask you for a number of details of your application, including the

   `name` of your application (which should be a valid PyPI identifier), and

   the `Formal Name` of your application (the full name you use to describe

   your app). The remainder of these instructions will assume a `name` of

   ``my-project``, and a formal name of ``My Project``.



3. `Obtain a Python Apple support package for macOS

   `__, and extract it into the

   ``My Project/My Project.app/Contents/Resources/Suppoort`` directory generated

   by the template.



4. Obtain a stub binary, and add it as a file named ``My Project`` in the ``My

   Project/My Project.app/Contents/MacOS/`` directory generated by the template.

   The `stub project

   `__

   in the `Briefcase macOS Xcode template

   `__ generates

   two stub binaries - one for GUI apps, and one for console apps; copy the

   appropriate executable from that project into your app template.



5. Add your code to the template, into the

   ``My Project/My Project.app/Contents/Resources/app`` directory. At the very

   minimum, you need to have an ``app//__main__.py`` file that

   defines an entry point that will start your application.



   If your code has any dependencies, they should be installed into the

   ``My Project/My Project.app/Contents/Resources/app_packages`` directory.



If you've done this correctly, a project with a formal name of ``My Project``,

with an app name of ``my-project`` should have a directory structure that

looks something like::



    My Project/

        My Project.app/

            Contents/

                MacOS/

                    My Project

                Resources/

                    app/

                        README

                        my_project/

                            __init__.py

                            __main__.py

                    app_packages/

                        README

                        ...

                    Support/

                        ...

                        VERSIONS

                    my-project.icns

                Info.plist

        installer/

            resources/

                welcome.html

            scripts/

                postinstall

            Distribution.xml

        Entitlements.plist

        briefcase.toml



The ``My Project.app`` directory should identify as an macOS application that

can be started by clicking on the application icon in Finder. It can also be

distributed as a standalone package.



Before you can run the app, you will need to sign any binary files, frameworks

and embedded apps in the ``My Project.app`` folder, as well as the ``My

Project.app`` folder itself. The ``Entitlements.plist`` file should be a good

starting point for the entitlements required to sign the app.



Next steps

----------



Of course, running Python code isn't very interesting by itself - you won't

be able to do any console input or output, because a macOS app doesn't display

a console.



To do something interesting, you'll need to work with the native macOS system

libraries to draw widgets and respond to user input. The `Rubicon Objective C

`__ bridging library can be used to

interface with the macOS system libraries. Alternatively, you could use a

cross-platform widget toolkit that supports macOS (such as `Toga

`__) to provide a GUI for your application.



If you have any external library dependencies (like Toga, or anything other

third-party library), you should install the library code into the

``app_packages`` directory. This directory is the same as a  ``site_packages``

directory on a desktop Python install.