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Banning private APIs is absurd. Permanently banning developers for using private APIs is shear lunacy. As someone else pointed out, not using private APIs woul

by vunie 7y ago

Banning private APIs is absurd. Permanently banning developers for using private APIs is shear lunacy. As someone else pointed out, not using private APIs would put some applications at a disadvantage against first party software: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21437673 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21437673 Firefox is often criticized for it's power consumption on the mac because it is not on par with safari. Chrome/electron uses private APIs to reduce power consumption to be more competitive with Apples browser. Apple bans the use of private APIs. Monopoly laws need to be updated.

scarface74 7y ago
Banning private APIs is absurd. Permanently banning developers for using private APIs is shear lunacy An API by definition is the public interface that a platform promises developers will not change without notice. The vendor has every right to change a private API. Once you start letting third party developers use private APIs either you are stuck with them forever or when you change it, users will blame you not the developer when applications break.
- erichocean 7y ago
  > users will blame you not the developer when applications break Apple breaks apps CONSTANTLY that use only public APIs, and the users DO NOT BLAME APPLE. Do you even work in the iOS ecosystem? Because everyone who does knows this. Users don't blame Apple when things break, they blame 3rd party developers.
- vunie 7y ago
  What a moronic comment. No ware in my comment have I argued that apple should not change their private APIs. What I'm arguing against is preventing third party developers from accessing them the same way apple does. We all understand that private APIs are subject to change without notice and accept the inherent risks involved. I suggest working on your comprehension skills.
  - scarface74 7y ago
    It’s moronic to use a private method that may change in a minor update. If anyone is using private APIs - they should work on their development skills. Of course Apple is going to use private methods to implement public APIs. Would it be more sound architecturally if they made all of their public APIs thousands of lines of code and copy and paste duplicated functionality so they wouldn’t use private functions? The risk isn’t just to you. Apple has been able to get customers to upgrade their operating system at a cadence that no other platform vendor has. What happens if every time they release an operating system apps break because they use private APIs? Either they will have to take the Windows strategy of putting individual hacks to keep apps from breaking or they will just have to let them break? Microsoft has historically not been able to ship OS upgrades on time partially because of the backwards compatible bloat of Windows. Apple has successfully done multiple platform transitions by completely changing the underlying code for public interfaces. They wouldn’t have been able to do that if developers were using private methods. In the grand scheme of things, you as a developer aren’t and shouldn’t be Apple’s focus. The customer is. If Apple is able to keep the customer happy developers will come along.

by vunie 7y ago

scarface74 7y ago

Banning private APIs is absurd. Permanently banning developers for using private APIs is shear lunacy An API by definition is the public interface that a platform promises developers will not change without notice. The vendor has every right to change a private API. Once you start letting third party developers use private APIs either you are stuck with them forever or when you change it, users will blame you not the developer when applications break.

erichocean 7y ago
> users will blame you not the developer when applications break Apple breaks apps CONSTANTLY that use only public APIs, and the users DO NOT BLAME APPLE. Do you even work in the iOS ecosystem? Because everyone who does knows this. Users don't blame Apple when things break, they blame 3rd party developers.
vunie 7y ago
What a moronic comment. No ware in my comment have I argued that apple should not change their private APIs. What I'm arguing against is preventing third party developers from accessing them the same way apple does. We all understand that private APIs are subject to change without notice and accept the inherent risks involved. I suggest working on your comprehension skills.
- scarface74 7y ago
  It’s moronic to use a private method that may change in a minor update. If anyone is using private APIs - they should work on their development skills. Of course Apple is going to use private methods to implement public APIs. Would it be more sound architecturally if they made all of their public APIs thousands of lines of code and copy and paste duplicated functionality so they wouldn’t use private functions? The risk isn’t just to you. Apple has been able to get customers to upgrade their operating system at a cadence that no other platform vendor has. What happens if every time they release an operating system apps break because they use private APIs? Either they will have to take the Windows strategy of putting individual hacks to keep apps from breaking or they will just have to let them break? Microsoft has historically not been able to ship OS upgrades on time partially because of the backwards compatible bloat of Windows. Apple has successfully done multiple platform transitions by completely changing the underlying code for public interfaces. They wouldn’t have been able to do that if developers were using private methods. In the grand scheme of things, you as a developer aren’t and shouldn’t be Apple’s focus. The customer is. If Apple is able to keep the customer happy developers will come along.