I’d like to create a macOS app, and was wondering ...

# multiplatform

[saket]

I’d like to create a macOS app, and was wondering if it’s a good idea to to write it using UiKit instead and then port to macOS. Dev guides for App Kit are awfully low.

[Jurriaan Mous]

I did not confirm it myself but it seems Kotlin native does not support catalyst at the moment: https://github.com/JetBrains/kotlin-native/issues/3713

[saket]

Ah using catalyst is completely out of the question in that case. Too bad.

[Sam]

Correct. Until there is catalyst support in K/N it won’t work. Some have tried creating a framework with a MacOS target and referencing that from their Xcode Catalyst project but it complains. I’m hoping we’ll get support for it in 1.4. 🤞

[kpgalligan]

So, there’s writing your UI in Kotlin, then there’s referencing your shared code from swift. “Some have tried creating a framework with a MacOS target and referencing that from their Xcode Catalyst project but it complains.” Are you saying you can’t use a shared code framework from a macos app, or just a Catalyst-specific macos app? Seems odd that Catalyst would prevent you from using a non-UI framework

[Sam]

A catalyst framework is x64 and linked against the ios libraries. Right now the only target that does that in K/N links against the simulator which is not valid for use in Catalyst apps running on MacOs. If you try to use a macOS target, Xcode will complain that it isn’t a Catalyst framework because it has been linked to the macOS version of Foundation rather than the macOS catalyst version.

[kpgalligan]

Ah! OK