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macOS help finding source code of an application

jcarm24

jcarm24

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 20, 2005
149
0
C-Ville, VA
I downloaded Super Shut Down from softwares.bajram.com. It's freeware, as listed on the website, and the ReadMe even encourages modifying the source code and redistributing it. Usually when I want to make changes to an application, I right click and choose "Show Package Contents". However, for some reason this option is not available on this program. Does anyone know how I can get to the "Show Package Contents" option or how to modify source code?
All the permissions are set to Read & Write, and I've tried accessing the package contents through the terminal, but no luck.
Thanks in advance
 
Application bundles very rarely contain source code - only resources and compiled files. Normally you have to download the source separately.

Would you know what you were doing even if you saw the source?
 
caveman_uk said:
Application bundles very rarely contain source code - only resources and compiled files. Normally you have to download the source separately.

Would you know what you were doing even if you saw the source?
Click to expand...

Not that it matters to you if I know what I'm doing, but I do, otherwise I wouldn't be inquiring. I'm just trying to reach the package contents that seem to be accessible in all other apps I have. I have not seen this problem with not being to get to the package contents before. I would like to change things within the package contents, and that's what I need help with.
 
If "Show Package Contents" is not there then it's not a package. It's an old-style app with everything (including the resources) compiled into a single huge file. Either that or the file you think is the app is simply an alias to the real app elsewhere. If you do an ls -l on the app in the Terminal it should show you if it's a directory (i.e. an app that you can to "Show Package Contents" on) or a file.
 
Go back to the website and see where the source code is. If it wasn't included in the download, there should be instructions on the website as to where you can get it.
 
jcarm24 said:
Not that it matters to you if I know what I'm doing, but I do, otherwise I wouldn't be inquiring.
Click to expand...
Well if you knew what you were doing with source code you'd know that in most apps it's not in the app bundle. If that's all you've played with before you haven't touched the 'source code' at all; only the app's resources (icons, plists, nib etc)
 
caveman_uk said:
Well if you knew what you were doing with source code you'd know that in most apps it's not in the app bundle. If that's all you've played with before you haven't touched the 'source code' at all; only the app's resources (icons, plists, nib etc)
Click to expand...

That's a little harsh but it's almost always true that it's not in the bundle.

I'm surprised that it's gotten to the point where someone would question not being able to Show Contents. It wasn't so long ago it was so few applications built that way. Thank goodness Mac OS X has progressed to the point where we don't see too many Mac OS 9 style applications any more.
 
Okay, looking at the file it's definitely not a bundle. It's definitely an old-style Carbon application that runs fine even in Classic (okay, it doesn't actually do anything useful under the Classic environment, but it runs :) ).

The program is written in RealBasic, so you would need the original project files and a copy of RealBasic to make any changes.

And looking even more closely, it's a bunch of Applescript inside a RealBasic wrapper. Why oh why do people do this?
 
iMeowbot said:
Okay, looking at the file it's definitely not a bundle. It's definitely an old-style Carbon application that runs fine even in Classic (okay, it doesn't actually do anything useful under the Classic environment, but it runs :) ).

The program is written in RealBasic, so you would need the original project files and a copy of RealBasic to make any changes.

And looking even more closely, it's a bunch of Applescript inside a RealBasic wrapper. Why oh why do people do this?
Click to expand...


Yuk. I assume they do this becuase they can't write real code?
 
Lots of good talking going on here.....thanks for the help and input.

caveman_uk said:
Well if you knew what you were doing with source code you'd know that in most apps it's not in the app bundle. If that's all you've played with before you haven't touched the 'source code' at all; only the app's resources (icons, plists, nib etc)
Click to expand...

And thank you caveman for telling me what I do and don't know about my programming skills. I some times need a reminder from complete strangers.
 
It's not a package.

jcarm24 said:
I ....the ReadMe even encourages modifying the source code and redistributing it. Usually when I want to make changes to an application, I right click and choose "Show Package Contents". However, for some reason this option is not available on this program....
Click to expand...

What you have is likely NOT a package. just an executable file.

Send an e-mail to whoever wrote the program and ask where the source is jkept.
There is a pretty good chace it is insome CVS or SVN server.
 
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