Re: CoverFlow

FROM : Mark Munz
DATE : Wed Nov 21 20:19:10 2007

I was addressing the more generic comment that Scott made:
> Well, you certainly should not use undocumented API.  Ever.


And trying to give a few examples where you can't get functionality
without diving into some undocumented territory. Mail APIs, MenuExtras
are a couple examples.

The Coverflow control may be possible to duplicate, but the developer
will likely need to spend a lot of time duplicating all the behaviors
of the control. From the user's perspective, they just want Coverflow
functionality.

Using a private framework may be a shortcut. I agree that it's very
dangerous and shouldn't be done without serious contemplation of the
consequences.

Unfortunately, pretty pictures has taken over these days but that's a
whole other discussion. Apple has given a lot of focus to pretty
pictures scrolling by since they put it into Finder, iTunes and their
iPods.

I would love to see Apple provide a way to use some of the
functionality it finds important enough to use in its own apps without
having to wait another 2+ years to do so.


On 11/21/07, Jaime Magiera <<email_removed>> wrote:
>
> On Nov 21, 2007, at 1:48 PM, Mark Munz wrote:
> >
> > *Sometimes*, private APIs are the only option. As I said, you have to
> > have your guard up. I try to avoid private APIs when I can.. but
> > sometimes you aren't given a choice.
>
> Mark,
>
> I guess I'm missing the "only option" connotation. Only option to do
> what? Something that is not supported? Something that your app is not
> dependent on (pretty pictures)?
>
> In other words, where does *necessity* for the feature, particularly
> considering the private API status, come in?
>
> Jaime
>
>
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--
Mark Munz
unmarked software
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