CODEWITHSUNDEEP
objective-ccocoamacos
abiraja
abiraja

Reputation: 193

How do I cede focus to the previous application in Cocoa?

Let's saying the user is currently on Chrome. So I have a HUD that is invoked by a global hotkey, the user then types something into it and on clicking Close or OK, the HUD goes away (just using [NSPanel orderOut:]) but my application is still focused (i.e. the Menu bar of my application is still visible). But I want the focus to go back to original application, Chrome. How do I achieve something like this? Ideally, I'd also be able to never "get" focus to my application and hence, the HUD input would all happen while Chrome was still the focused application. Things.app manages to achieve something like this. Quicksilver does this too.

Upvotes: 9

Views: 1142

Answers (4)

Darren
Darren

Reputation: 25619

Call [NSApp hide:]

That will hide your application and activate the previously-active application.

Upvotes: 8

0xced
0xced

Reputation: 26518

In order to never get the focus on your application call [panel setStyleMask:[panel styleMask] | NSNonactivatingPanelMask]; on your NSPanel or check the Non Activating checkbox on your NSPanel in Interface Builder.

Upvotes: 3

Azeem.Butt
Azeem.Butt

Reputation: 5861

You can either have a faceless helper app that does this for you or get the PSN of the frontmost process before you're brought forward and switch back to it when you want to go away.

Upvotes: 1

John Calsbeek
John Calsbeek

Reputation: 36497

If this is the only UI that your application has to offer, you can give it an LSUIElement Info.plist key, which prevents it from being in the Dock or being the active application.

Upvotes: 0

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