5 ms·

Wait, so you still can't upload something a random app produced?

by lucian1900 14y ago

buster 14y ago
That's where Android Intent system shines ;) My bet that Apple will provide something similar in the future. It's just too good. All that sharing stuff in Android, i really miss it on my iPad, it's imo the biggest feature difference between those two OS today.
- pooriaazimi 14y ago
  I've been waiting for intents since 4.0 - I still can't believe it's not been added in 6.0. Maybe iOS 7.0?
  - erichocean 14y ago
    Apple is now using their own "intents" system (XPC Services[1]) internally in iOS 6.0, so it seems reasonable for it to arrive in a later version. One major benefit is that Apple will be able to support JIT'd WebViews outside of Mobile Safari, without a privilege escalation. [1] http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPSystemStartup/Chapters/CreatingXPCServices.html http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/MacOSX...
    - pooriaazimi 14y ago
      Thanks! I didn't know about XPC being on iOS... It's great news (especially in regards to Nitro-ed UIWebVIew), but still it's short of what intents are able to do. For example, I don't suppose it would be possible to "announce" to the system that I, for example, do "image editing" by getting a "png, jpg, pdf" and returning a "png, jpg, pdf". XPC would mostly be used in a single app for further sandboxing and increased security/stability.
      - erichocean 14y ago
        I don't have any inside information on how Apple will do things in iOS, but I see no reason why they couldn't do that. "Services" have been part of iOS/OS X since the late 80s/early 90s with NeXTStep, the precursor to both. I don't think Apple is deliberately not allowing services/intents in the manner you describe, I think it's just taking them a long time to figure out how to do it within the process and security model they are trying to enforce in iOS.
dutchbrit 14y ago
Well, you can, if it's an image or a video.
- statictype 14y ago
  Only if the app that produced it sticks it in the Camera Roll.
  - dutchbrit 14y ago
    Indeed, very true. I guess it's very Apple like to have a closed system.
  - qq66 14y ago
    Can you write out files to binary-encoded images and save them to the Camera Roll? Or does that violate TOS?
    - dutchbrit 14y ago
      Instagram does it so I think it should be fine.
- pooriaazimi 14y ago
  ... and is saved in the camera roll (not all images are there. for example a drawing app doesn't put its stupid images in your camera roll!)
  - r00fus 14y ago
    Not to condone the way they've interpreted file input, but at the very very least - you can upload almost any image in the system by either saving it to camera roll, or taking a screenshot. This is really a lowest-common-denominator for file transmission - for example, until recently my mom couldn't upload her photo on meetup.com due to this limitation (she uses only an iPad)... I figure Apple cares more about her needs than mine (saving specs.xls into a JIRA). Any other file uploads (docs, etc) are likely better handled by an app or simply email.

Wait, so you still can't upload something a random app produced?

That's where Android Intent system shines ;) My bet that Apple will provide something similar in the future. It's just too good. All that sharing stuff in Android, i really miss it on my iPad, it's imo the biggest feature difference between those two OS today.

pooriaazimi 14y ago
I've been waiting for intents since 4.0 - I still can't believe it's not been added in 6.0. Maybe iOS 7.0?
- erichocean 14y ago
  Apple is now using their own "intents" system (XPC Services[1]) internally in iOS 6.0, so it seems reasonable for it to arrive in a later version. One major benefit is that Apple will be able to support JIT'd WebViews outside of Mobile Safari, without a privilege escalation. [1] http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPSystemStartup/Chapters/CreatingXPCServices.html http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/MacOSX...
  - pooriaazimi 14y ago
    Thanks! I didn't know about XPC being on iOS... It's great news (especially in regards to Nitro-ed UIWebVIew), but still it's short of what intents are able to do. For example, I don't suppose it would be possible to "announce" to the system that I, for example, do "image editing" by getting a "png, jpg, pdf" and returning a "png, jpg, pdf". XPC would mostly be used in a single app for further sandboxing and increased security/stability.
    - erichocean 14y ago
      I don't have any inside information on how Apple will do things in iOS, but I see no reason why they couldn't do that. "Services" have been part of iOS/OS X since the late 80s/early 90s with NeXTStep, the precursor to both. I don't think Apple is deliberately not allowing services/intents in the manner you describe, I think it's just taking them a long time to figure out how to do it within the process and security model they are trying to enforce in iOS.

dutchbrit 14y ago

Well, you can, if it's an image or a video.

statictype 14y ago
Only if the app that produced it sticks it in the Camera Roll.
- dutchbrit 14y ago
  Indeed, very true. I guess it's very Apple like to have a closed system.
- qq66 14y ago
  Can you write out files to binary-encoded images and save them to the Camera Roll? Or does that violate TOS?
  - dutchbrit 14y ago
    Instagram does it so I think it should be fine.
pooriaazimi 14y ago
... and is saved in the camera roll (not all images are there. for example a drawing app doesn't put its stupid images in your camera roll!)
- r00fus 14y ago
  Not to condone the way they've interpreted file input, but at the very very least - you can upload almost any image in the system by either saving it to camera roll, or taking a screenshot. This is really a lowest-common-denominator for file transmission - for example, until recently my mom couldn't upload her photo on meetup.com due to this limitation (she uses only an iPad)... I figure Apple cares more about her needs than mine (saving specs.xls into a JIRA). Any other file uploads (docs, etc) are likely better handled by an app or simply email.