macOS - Impossible to launch an app with localized name and space

Question

I have this macOS app that is launched at login. This app has a space in the name "My App.app".

For that matter, I have created a helper app that loads at login and launches the main app.

I am inside this helper, trying to launch the main app.

For this reason I need to get the main app path. So, I do:

let appName = "My App.app"
let path = "/Applications/" + appName 
let newURL = NSURL.fileURL(withPath: path)

when I try to use this

let app = try NSWorkspace.shared.launchApplication(at: newURL,
                                                   options:[.withErrorPresentation, .inhibitingBackgroundOnly, .async],
                                                   configuration: [:])

I get an error "APPLICATION NOT FOUND".

One of the problems is that the App contains a space in the name "My App.app". I remove the space in the app name and this command successfully launches the app.

But I need the space in the name.

Then I try to launch the app using the bundle identifier.

NSWorkspace.shared.launchApplication(withBundleIdentifier: mainAppBundleIdentifier,
options: [.withErrorPresentation, .inhibitingBackgroundOnly, .async],
additionalEventParamDescriptor: nil,
launchIdentifier: nil)

then I get another error,

MyApp can’t be opened. Move “My App” to the Applications folder and try again.

The problem is that the app is already on the Applications folder.

then I use this, just to check

let path = NSWorkspace.shared.absolutePathForApplication(withBundleIdentifier: mainBundleId)

and I get this

"/Users/myself/Library/Mail/V6/0982138471-EA33/[Gmail].mbox/All Mail.mbox/871628745618726547816A/Data/2/8/5/Attachments/582584/2/MyAppMac.app"

WTF!!??

Two things wrong about this:

1. This is a link to an email I have sent yesterday to a tester, sending him the application.
2. The app mentioned in the link is MyAppMac.app that is the Xcode target name, without localization.

How in the heavens name do I launch an app from another app when the app contains a space in the name and is localized?

How do I get the target name?

Answer 1

The usual way to launch the main application is first to check if it's already running and if not to run the executable and pass a variable to inform the main application that it was launched by the helper

For example

func applicationDidFinishLaunching(_ aNotification: Notification) {
    let appName = "Foo"
    let bundleIdentifier = "com.spacedog.foo"

    if NSRunningApplication.runningApplications(withBundleIdentifier: bundleIdentifier).isEmpty {
        let bundleURL = Bundle.main.bundleURL
        var pathComponents = bundleURL.pathComponents
        pathComponents.removeLast(3)
        pathComponents.append(contentsOf: ["MacOS", appName])
        let mainAppURL = NSURL.fileURL(withPathComponents:pathComponents)!
        let options = [NSWorkspace.LaunchConfigurationKey.arguments : ["launchedAtLogin"]]
        _ = try? NSWorkspace.shared.launchApplication(at: mainAppURL as URL, options: .withoutActivation, configuration: options)
    }
    NSApp.terminate(nil)
}