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资源说明：Demo for Status Bar App
# Create a StatusBar App
- category: work
- date: 2012-07-20 21:15
- tags: learning, cocoa
--------------------------
It has been months since I decided to learn cocoa development, but in vain.
Unlike python, the documentation of cocoa tortures me a lot.
I am still new to cocoa development. And this post will be part of my learning series.
I didn't mean to teach you anything, on the contrary, it is a track of my learing.
But it may be a little help to you.
## StatusBar App
A **StatusBar App** is what on the right side of the menu bar, it doesn't contain a main window.
For example, the volumn control is a StatusBar App.
## Demo Time
It's the time to create a StatusBar App now.
1. Open your Xcode (I am on Xcode 4.3.3)
2. Create a cocoa application project
3. Name the project **StatusBarApp**
4. Run for testing
Now you will get an App with window. However, our app is a StatusBar App, it has no window.
The final app should be like:
### Menu
We will create the menu first.
1. Drag a menu to the interface builder
2. Edit the menu item
3. Decorate the menu with seprator
4. Connect the menu to your code outlet, and name it `statusMenu`
### StatusBar
Create the statusBar property in your ``AppDelegate.h`` file:
```objc
@property (strong, nonatomic) NSStatusItem *statusBar;
```
Synthesize it in the ``AppDelegate.m`` file:
```objc
@synthesize statusBar = _statusBar;
```
Initialize the statusBar:
```objc
- (void) awakeFromNib {
self.statusBar = [[NSStatusBar systemStatusBar] statusItemWithLength:NSVariableStatusItemLength];
self.statusBar.title = @"G";
// you can also set an image
//self.statusBar.image =
self.statusBar.menu = self.statusMenu;
self.statusBar.highlightMode = YES;
}
```
``awakeFromNib`` is earlier than ``applicationDidFinishLaunching`` in the lifecycle.
### App Go
Let's test this application.
1. Run you app now. You will see a **G** in the menu bar.
2. Delete the useless window in your ``MainMenu.xib``, and run your app again.
It works! But it doesn't work the right way. It is on the dock, it shows the menu on the left.
Fix it in ``StatusBarApp-Info.plist``, add a row:
```
Application is agent (UIElement) = YES
```
Run your application again, it won't be on the dock, it won't show the menu.
### Do More
But you can't quit the application, that could be annoying. We did have a Quit item on the application, but it won't work right now.
Fix it:
## Source Code
Get the latest source code at [GitHub](https://github.com/lepture/StatusBarApp).
Follow me on [GitHub](https://github.com/lepture).
## Reference:
- [Creating a Status Bar Application](http://cocoatutorial.grapewave.com/2010/01/creating-a-status-bar-application/)
- [NSStatusItem Class Reference](https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Cocoa/Reference/ApplicationKit/Classes/NSStatusItem_Class/Reference/Reference.html)
本源码包内暂不包含可直接显示的源代码文件，请下载源码包。
